She curled onto her side and dragged herself behind a tree.
“Sevie,” he called with that high-pitched shout and then she heard a shot. It hit a tree far behind her. Given she wasn’t struck, she wasn’t sure if he’d even seen her. “Sevie!”
That was sharp as though he expected her to turn herself over. She swallowed thickly. Why had he messed up her room? Why had he changed it again? Why attack Grandmère?
“Sevie! Quit being so troublesome. Do as you’re told, girl.”
Severine got onto her knees and crawled away. She heard another shot, and she closed her eyes and waited for another shot, but it didn’t come.
Instead, Andre shouted. “Spread out!”
The servants must have joined him. Would they follow his command? Did they still believe Severine was behind all this?
“Spread out and find her.”
“Mr. Andre,” one of the footmen said, “we’ve been told to bring you inside.”
With that, Severine dared to poke her head out. She could see Andre had entered the orchard and servants were approaching him cautiously.
“Me?” Andre shouted. “I’ve found the murderess.”
“No one has been killed,” Grayson Thorne said, stepping out with his hands down low. “This doesn’t have to go further, Charpentier.”
“There’s treasure,” Andre tempted. “I’ll share it with you.”
Grayson glanced to the side and Severine saw Mr. Oliver approaching through the trees as well. She heard the unholy howl of Anubis and looked about for him frantically.
“There’s no treasure,” Grayson told Andre flatly. “You know that.”
Andre laughed. “I thought there might be.”
“No, you didn’t,” Grayson told snapped.
Andre laughed again. He was back to a giggle, and he asked, “How did she get you on her side like this?”
Grayson’s head tilted and he told Andre simply, “I saw what you did.”
“What I did?” Andre asked. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“I saw Severine’s room. I released Lisette and Mr. Brand myself. I saw you drag Severine off. You, sir, are a villain.”
“How much?” Andre demanded suddenly, assuming that Grayson could be bought.
“Will your grandmother be purchased as easily as you assume I will be?” Grayson asked easily. “And Severine’s cousins and her uncle and every servant?”
“They all want their allowances, don’t they?” Andre replied silkily. “They want maybe something a little extra?”
Severine slowly pushed herself upright, seeing that Lisette was standing with the leashes of her puppies and Uncle Alphonse was clutching Anubis.
“I’m not for sale,” Grayson told Andre.
“Everyone needs a little something,” Andre replied. “I can get you a little something.”
“Your sister inherited from her father. You needed him to die first because you weren’t owed anything in his will. Did you kill your father and mother too?”
Andre seemed genuinely shocked. “Of course I didn’t.”
Grayson seemed almost as baffled as Severine felt. She slowly stepped outside of the tree. None of this made sense. Not one bit. Andre was acting well and truly mad, but she didn’t think he was mad in the least. She did think he was stupid and spoiled. Her gaze narrowed on him.
“Why are you doing this?” Severine asked. “Here I am, Andre. Tell me what’s happening.”
He smirked at her. “Father disowned me, Sevie. I need money. I owe people. You have to go away. I’m sorry, but you have to go away. I’ll take good care of you.” His unctuous lie made her shudder.
“What if I take care of you, instead?” she offered. “Mr. Brand’s orders from my father are to do what I say.”
“People hate Brand, Sevie. Father’s partners. Uncle Alphonse. Our cousins. They’ll be on my side.”
“I’m afraid not,” Uncle Alphonse said. Severine glanced his way and saw he’d been drawn closer by the lunging Anubis. “I won’t put my niece in an asylum for Flora’s boy. Didn’t like her. Don’t like you. Don’t care for your Grandmère.”
If only, Severine thought, that charming tone and those pretty words were believable. She thought that Alphonse would throw her away as easily. In fact, she thought the only thing he wanted was the income that had been left to his sons.
“Sevie knows I care about her,” Uncle Alphonse continued.
She barely kept herself from snorting.
“Sevie is a child,” Andre snapped.
“Severine,” she said for herself, “wonders who is pulling your strings, Andre.”
He spun on her with a furious gaze.
“The person who you owe money?”
His growing fury was edged with amusement.
“No,” she added, “not that person. Someone who pulls your debtor’s strings. A spider and you’re not even the fly. You are whatever the flies eat. Poor Andre, you must hate that.”
His gaze narrowed on her with dark, furious hatred. “Shut up.”
“Someone imaginative owns you. I bet you bungled their plan, didn’t you? That nonsense with my bedroom. Cleaning it up before I could be hysterical about it. Before you could claim that I was mad and to look at the return to normalcy.” She laughed meanly and her brother’s fists clenched. That was it for her. “Oh you did bungle it. I bet you’re going to be scolded like the fool you are.”
Her brother lifted his hand, pointing the gun at her. She caressed the gun in her own pocket. But no. She wouldn’t fire at her brother. She wouldn’t take that sin on her soul. Not for justice for parents such as her own.
“You don’t know anything.”
She licked her lips, knowing she didn’t need to speak loudly. “Don’t I? I know who you are Andre. Just like my father did. I know what you are.”
“Stop,” Uncle Alphonse said, “you’re driving him mad.”
She laughed lightly as if she were without fear. “Spoiled.”
Andre flinched.
“As cruel and spoiled as Mother.”
Grayson must have seen the fury break in Andre’s expression because he called, “Anubis, verteidigen.”
Defend. Protect. Grayson knew the command.
Her dog yanked himself free as Severine drew her pistol, ensuring that her brother’s focus would be on her rather than her protector. Her brother pulled the trigger just as Anubis struck.
Lisette screamed and Grayson cursed. Severine, however, fell. Lisette must have let go of the puppies’ leashes because when she opened her eyes
