Page 3 of What Dreams May Come
“Remember when I bit my thumb at those boys?” she asked.
They both fell into afit of giggles.
However, I wasn’t in the mood. “You girls could have been hurt. They could havedrawn swords!”
“They did. And you know what we did?” Isabella spoke while both hopped up and down.
Was there ever anything sillier than young girls on the verge of womanhood? And more inclined to step right into danger? “SweetMadonna, what?”
Katherina finished triumphantly, “What Papà told us to do. We counted our legs and when we got to two, we ran!”
I slumped against the wall in relief, not at all amused by Papà’s ancient jest.
“The second night—”Isabella began.
My heart stopped. “There was a second night?” Of course there was a second night. Tonight. Something had happened tonight to send theminto a dither.
“The second night was even more fun,” she said, as if that was reason enough for more risk of danger and dishonor. “The second night we—”
“Wait.” My vision zeroed in on the manly display between their legs. “Did you stuff your codpieces?”
“No, Rosie, we grewpizzlesovernight.” Katherina rolled her eyes. “Of course we stuffed our codpieces. Just like the men do!”
Isabella sniggered.
These girls were making me feel as neverendingly somber and appropriate as...Prince Escalus.
I winced. Why did everything conspire to remind me of him?
Isabella said, “We ventured into a public house and drank wine—”
I clutched my throat.
“Rosie, stop being so boring,” Katherina said impatiently. “They thought we were stupid youths and watered the wine. They cheated us, and that was fine because we were not drenched, oreven tiddled.”
“Right.” I translated. They weren’t intoxicated. Thatwas one relief.
“After that, we danced in the square, we sang ribald songs, we swaggered some more and, on the way home, we almost got robbed!” Isabella couldn’t have beenmore thrilled.
I hyperventilated until Katherina shoved a stool under my rear and warned, “You haven’t heard thebad part yet.”
“Youwererobbed? You lost something of value?” Even to me, my voice sounded thready.
“No! I mean yes, but not that night.” Katherina dismissed the second night robbery as unimportant. “Tonight was when we were robbed and...” She exchanged a miserable glancewith Isabella.
Dear sweet Jesus and his holy mother Mary, this was my fault. I had wished and prayed that I be released from the results of my own act of stupidity, and three nights of girlish freedom and ensuing disasterwas the result.
That fraught reasoning was so dramatic it was worthy of one of my siblings or even my parents...but not me. Not practical, mature Rosie who until recently managed her own life and everyone else’s with adept skill. How that had changed, how I’d landed on this rocky shoal slapped by ever-increasing cold and briny waves,I did not know.
I took myself in hand and firmly told myself tonight was not about me. I must grope my way away from self-pity and back to logic. “Dear girls, why don’t you tell me, in short easy words, exactly what you did tonight that causes you suchapprehension?”
CHAPTER THREE
I thought I was being incredibly patientand supportive.
Katherina viewed it as criticism, and being my sister and a Montague, she went on the attack. In a strident tone, she said, “You did it first.” She waved me to silence. “I know. You didn’t get caught.”
Exactly. As Papà says,Never exchange skill for luck.“How did you findout?” I asked.
