Taking Katherine’s hand, she declared, “I don’t know why, but I believe you.”
“In the eyes of this evidence? Or should I say the lack of it?” Katherine looked around. “Even I’m beginning to doubt it. Why do you suddenly believe me?”
“Even an idiot can see that something has happened to you, that you actually believe there was a fire. Besides, no woman would make herself look like such a fool in front of a man unless she was telling the truth. Unless… unless you’re an awfully good actress.”
A wry smile crossed Katherine’s drawn face. “I must be tired. Your weird reasoning comforts me.” At that instant she became aware of a burning sensation in her nose and mouth. Her sensitized membranes had detected what May-Jewel and Alex had failed to notice. Going to the only solid piece of furniture left in the room, the bed, she lifted the tattered bedding to her face and smelled the material.
“What are you doing?” May-Jewel asked, her face pinched up in distaste.
“Come here,” Katherine said, and shoved the cloth under May-Jewel’s nose. “Smell this.”
“Ugh! That’s disgusting!” She shoved the offensive material away from her nose.
“That smell is of burnt wood and sulfur! That proves that something occurred here, and someone went through an awful lot of trouble to hide it afterwards.”
“Don’t look at me!” May-Jewel said. “That old man was in here before us. He could have had something to do with it. I know that an odious piece of cloth won’t be enough to convince Alex of what you experienced. He’d say that the smell of sulfur doesn’t prove anything.”
“Of course it does!” Katherine said frowning. “Why wouldn’t it? It’ll prove that there was a fire, that it was chemical in nature, and had to be set on purpose.”
“Don’t jump to conclusions. Sulfur has been used for centuries to treat skin disease. What did you say your mother died of?”
Katherine frowned. “It wasn’t from a skin disease,” she declared walking from the cottage.
May-Jewel closed the door and caught up with her. “Well, perhaps the fire was someplace else,” she offered, “and, being half asleep, you thought it was here in the cottage.”
“No!” Katherine cried emphatically. “Oh, forget it. I don’t want to discuss it any further. Not the cottage, not the fire, nor anything else. Either you believe me or you don’t!” She stormed up the path.
“You have to admit that these happenings are a bit theatrical,” May-Jewel said, matching Katherine’s pace. “People who are there but not really there, burning rooms that aren’t actually on fire, shadows in shadows watching people. It would be wise if you didn’t go around saying anything about these things. People might think you’re a bit, you know… daft.”
Once in her chamber, Katherine sank on the bed. “You don’t have to stay with me,” she said as May-Jewel sat down beside her. “I’m perfectly all right.”
“I know, but you look like you need to rest.” Avoiding Katherine’s stern look, she suddenly asked, “Don’t you trust me?”
“Of course not! Why should I trust you? I don’t trust anyone around here.”
“Well, you’re going to have to trust someone sometime. Don’t move. I’ll be back in a minute,” May-Jewel said running from the room. She returned with a vial in her hand. “Here, take this,” she said offering it to her.
“What is it?”
“It’s a sleep inducer. It’s to help you sleep.”
Scowling, Katherine watched her stir the grey liquid into a glass of water.
“You don’t really think I’m going to drink that?”
May-Jewel placed the tumbler on Katherine’s night table, then sank into a chair. “You need to sleep, so please take the medication.”
Picking up the glass, Katherine turned its cylindrical form around in her hand. Suspicious of its contents, she placed it back down. As she studied May-Jewel’s face, she saw only a spoiled, pampered girl who was capable of manipulating people. But was she capable of poisoning someone? “At this point, I need more than sleep,” she mumbled. “I need answers, and I need to bathe this smoke residue off of me.” Katherine rose. Taking up her hand mirror, she examined her face. Her eyes were still swollen and, though her cheeks were smudged with grime, she was shocked by the paleness of her skin. She ran her fingers through her thick, disarranged hair as a ring of despair suddenly encompassed her. “So much has happened over the last few days,” she lamented. “I’m not sure if I can handle much more.”
“I think that someone is purposely trying to scare us away from here,” suggested May-Jewel. “You met a strange woman in your room and saw a fire in the cottage. It resembles a plot from a Radcliff novel. What I don’t understand is Alex’s mindset toward you. I don’t like any of this. We should investigate. We should find out what’s going on. And, most of all, we should stick together.”
“Us? We?” Katherine responded sarcastically. “What is this companionship that you suddenly want to apply to you and me? I’ve already told you that I don’t trust you. For all I know, you’re the one trying to drive me away.”
With an exasperated sigh, May-Jewel replied, “Your contempt and suspicions are wearing a bit thin. In the beginning I was simply willing to try to buy your share of Wistmere. But now if someone is trying to harm you, how safe do you think I am? Listen for once with your head and not with that granite
