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Ha It was all Luce could e

I' a stack of china under her fleshy pink arm Why not have a handful of flour ready to toss, just in case those girls come back this way? She winked at Luce and pushed the door open with her broad behind, then disappeared into the hallway

Someone else appeared in her place: a boy, also in a servant's outfit, his face hidden behind a giant box of groceries He set them down on the table across the kitchen froht of his face At least, having just seen Arriane, she was a little more prepared

Roland!

He twitched when he looked up, then collected himself As he walked toward her, it was her clothes Roland couldn't stop staring at He pointed at her apron Why are you dressed like that?

Luce tugged at the tie on her apron, pulling it off I'm not who you think I a his head first slightly to the left, then to the right Well, you're the spitting io slu in the scullery?

The Biscoes?

Roland raised an eyebrow at her, a so yourself?

Myrtle, Luce said miserably

And you are not the Lucinda Biscoe to whoo?

No Luce didn't knohat to say, how to convince him She turned to Bill for help, but he had disappeared even froel that he ould have been able to see Bill

What would Miss Biscoe's father say if he saw his daughter down here, up to her elbows in grease? Roland smiled It's a fine prank to pull on him

Roland, it is not a--

What are you hiding froarden

A tinny ruone He seenal, only she had no idea what it was Bill probably wanted her to keep herto do, come out and stop her? A sheen of sas visible on Roland's brow Are we alone, Lucinda?

Absolutely

He cocked his head at her and waited I don't feel that we are

The only other presence in the room was Bill How could Roland sense hiirl you think I aain I am a Lucinda, but I--I'm here from the future--it's hard to explain, actually She took a deep breath I was born in Thunderbolt, Georgiain 1992

"Oh" Roland sed Well, well He closed his eyes and started speaking very slowly: And the stars in the sky fell to the earth, like figs blown off a tree in a gale

The words were cryptic, but Roland recited the a favorite line fro at a karaoke party back at Sword & Cross In that moment, he seemed like the Roland she knew back home, as if he'd slipped out of this Victorian character for a little while

Only, there was sonized them from somewhere What is that? What does that ain More loudly this ti Roland's eyes opened and he was back to his Victorian self His hands were tough and callused and his biceps were larger than she was used to seeing theainst his dark skin He looked tired A heavy sadness fell over Luce

You're a servant here? she asked The others--Arriane--they get to run around andBut you have to work, don't you? Just because you're--

Black? Roland said, holding her gaze until she looked away, uncomfortable Don't worry about me, Lucinda I've suffered worse than ets better, she said, feeling that any reassurance she gave hi if what she said was really true People can be awful

Well We can't worry about theht you back here, anyway, Lucinda? Does Daniel know? Does Cam?

Cam's here, too? Luce shouldn't have been surprised, but she was

If ht, he's probably just rolled into town

Luce couldn't worry about that now Daniel doesn't know, not yet, she admitted But I need to find him, and Lucinda, too I have to know--

Look, Roland said, backing away from Luce, his hands raised, almost as if she were radioactive You didn't see o up to Daniel--

I know, she said He'll freak out

Freak out?' Roland tried out the strange-sounding phrase, alht fall in love with this you--he pointed at her--then yes It's really quite dangerous You're a tourist here

Fine, then I'm a tourist But I can at least talk to them

No, you can't You don't inhabit this life

I don't want to inhabit anything I just want to knohy--

Your being here is dangerous--to you, to the Do you understand?

Luce didn't understand How could she be dangerous? I don't want to stay here, I just want to knohy this keeps happening between me and Daniel--I mean, between this Lucinda and Daniel

That's precisely what I ave her a hard look Hear me: You can observe theh the s So long as you know nothing here is yours to take

But why can't I just talk to them?