PATRICE SARATH
THE SISTERS
MEDEROS
For my sisters
Behind every great fortune is a great crime.
Attr. to Balzac
Prologue
Six years before…
Tesara woke with a gasp, blinking in the dim candlelight, as her mother shook her awake.
“Mama?”
“Up, Tesara, and be quick. You need to get dressed. No, don’t bother with clothes from the wardrobe. Put on yesterday’s dress.”
Confused, Tesara did as she was told, grabbing the shift and petticoat and stockings from the day before, and began to fumble into them. In the meantime, Alinesse set the candle on the table and began stuffing a nightgown, extra underthings, her hairbrush and ribbons, toothbrush and tooth powder, and another second dress in a carpetbag. Tesara had never seen her mother pack so haphazardly. Indeed, she had never seen her mother pack at all. Where was Jenny the housemaid? When her mother saw she was only half-dressed, she tsked and roughly put the dress over Tesara’s head, forcing her arms into the sleeves. Tesara knew better than to complain.
“Are we going on holiday?” she asked, confused and frightened.
“I’ll explain later. Hurry.”
Alinesse buttoned up the back of Tesara’s dress, leaving half the buttons undone, grabbed a warm coat, and thrust the carpetbag at Tesara. She took up the lamp again, and led the way downstairs. The candlelight flickered bravely but could not illuminate the staircase, so Tesara kept one hand on the wall, her fingers throbbing with energy.
Not now, she thought. Please not now. Of all times for her wild power to manifest, this moment would be significantly unhelpful.
The whole house was dark. Tesara followed her mother closely, stumbling a little, and they went into the kitchen. It was crowded. Her father Brevart was there along with her Uncle Samwell, the butler Charle, Albero the footman, Cook, her nurse Michelina, and her big sister Yvienne. The family and Michelina were all dressed in their day clothes and warm coats. The stout old nurse was dressed for traveling in an ancient wool walking coat that strained over her bulk. Yvienne carried a carpetbag and a heavy satchel. She brought her books, Tesara thought. She wondered what she should bring and her mind went blank. Only her fingers buzzed with electricity, like bees under the skin.
“Here now, Brev, what’s going on?” Uncle Samwell said, with his usual bluster.
There came a rapping on the kitchen door, and everyone started.
“The carter’s here, sir,” said Charle, as if he were saying, “Your coach awaits.”
“Thank you, Charle,” Brevart said. He took a deep breath, his eyes hollow and strained in the dim light. “Thank you all for your service.” He reached out and shook Charle’s hand. Cook was crying. “We cannot give you–”
Banging on the front door made him break off. A distant voice cried, “Open in the name of the Guild!”
Alinesse gasped. “We’ve been betrayed.”
“Hurry, we must hurry,” Brevart said. “Girls, go with your mother and Michelina. Quick now.”
Tesara and Yvienne were hustled to the kitchen door.
The knocking grew louder. It sounded as if something heavy were being rammed against the door.
“Samwell Balinchard, we have a warrant for your arrest!” came a shout from the front door.
Uncle Samwell turned ashen white and his legs gave way. He supported himself at the kitchen table. “It’s Trune.”
Tesara’s parents froze. Tesara whimpered. Trune, the Guild liaison, who enforced the Guild’s laws and punished transgressors, whom she heard her parents refer to as the Guild’s attack dog.
Trune, who knew what Tesara had done.
In extreme fear, Samwell turned to his sister and brother-in-law. “Brev–” he managed. “Alinesse–”
“Shall I hold them off, sir?” Charle said, a determined look belying his robe and slippers. The footman Albero, barely seventeen, clenched his fists as if he meant to take on the Guild’s constables by himself.
There was a crash and the whole house shuddered.
“They’re breaking in!” Michelina cried. “Alinesse, love, come with me and the girls.”
Alinesse wavered. She looked at her husband and a glance passed between them. In her young life Tesara had never seen her parents give each such a look of determined partnership. There had always been bickering and a simmering unhappiness, even more so since their troubles began.
The trouble I caused… Tesara bit her lip.
“Let the girls go away to safety,” said Alinesse. “I stand with you and House Mederos.”
Michelina began to weep. Tesara thought it sounded the same sort of forced weeping when she didn’t get her way. Tesara had grown up knowing that Michelina’s loyalty was all for Alinesse, not for Alinesse’s daughters, and that Michelina thought Tesara naughty and Yvienne pert. Why does she have to come with us? she thought.
“I’ll go,” Samwell said, his voice panicky. “I’ll go with the girls, protect them – for God’s sakes, Brevart!”
“No,” Alinesse said. “No, Sam, the girls go alone. We will face this – together.”
Brevart nodded and took his wife’s hand.
“That’s all well and good for you!” her younger brother screamed. “They’re going to throw me in gaol!”
Another blow on the front door. Everyone jumped.
“Go,” Alinesse ordered. “Be good, girls. Listen to Michelina. It is very good of her to take you to her niece. We’ll call for you as soon as it’s safe.” They were pushed out the door and into the garden. Tesara looked back, struggling to hold onto her carpetbag and stumbling, and getting a glimpse of her parents in the dim light of the kitchen before the door was closed. Then they were through the garden gate and into the alley behind the house. They could hear the commotion at the front door more clearly.
“Quick, girls,” Michelina said, her breath wheezing as she led them up to the rickety cart. The cart was pulled by a spavined, swaybacked cart horse, and driven by a rough and wild carter, whose beard covered halfway down his chest. Tesara’s heart sank. How would they make their escape in such a slow and rickety equipage?
Behind them they could hear another crash. It sounded as if the front door of the Mederos townhouse had been completely battered
