'Don't look, Lillian. Never look into the eyes of a Sin-Eater, you will be as cursed as he is and will forever languish in darkness.'
Lillian Elmes remembers the warning her mother gave her about the town's Sin-Eater only too well.
How could she n...
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'This makes no sense whatsoever,' I say, after Papa has dismissed Marie, Aggie and Silas.
I have scanned the contents of Lizzie's letter so many times that the words become a jumble, letters elongating and twisting together like tiny serpents on the page.
'Why on Earth would she stand in our very parlour room one day and point the finger of blame at Daniel, and then confess to Mama's murder so very quickly?' I touch a fingertip to where she has signed her name, tracing the shaky italics of her usually immaculate penmanship. 'What has happened to you, Lizzie?' I whisper.
'You do not believe it?' William says. His scowl has returned, that petulant wrinkle of his forehead that often means an outburst is due to follow.
'I know not what to believe,' I say. 'I know something was very peculiar about Lizzie's recent behaviour. She has seemed terribly out-of-sorts of late, but to be admitted to Shelton Hospital of all places? No... there is something very wrong and I intend to find out just what that is, but not before we take this letter to the town gaol and demand that the constables release Daniel.'
Papa looks vexed. 'I agree. To accuse Mr. Carver and then retract that accusation and put herself in his place seems an odd thing for Elizabeth to do. Of course, we cannot discount that she was overcome with guilt and shame at framing an innocent man, but we also must remember that she has resided at Lutwyche for some time now. I worry that everyone in that house is in grave danger indeed.'
'Oh, Papa, you do not think that the Hawkstone family could be harmed, do you?' The Hawkstone children had always been a handful, that much I knew from Lizzie herself, but the thought of any harm coming to them was more than I could bear. And Mama would have been devastated if anything happened to her friend, Mrs. Hawkstone.
'I know not, Lillian dear,' Papa says, rubbing at his troubled brow. 'But I do think we need to take measures to warn them at least.'
'And do you really think they would believe us?' William says. 'Papa, even you must admit this tale is somewhat... fantastical.'
'That it is.' Papa nods. 'But try we must. First, however, we must do what Lillian says and get Mr. Carver released. I only pray we are not too late, and he has not yet been transported to Shrewsbury Prison.'
