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“We did not have a piano in Jamaica, so I could not play there We were poor and my father could not afford to have me educated as he would have wished We had our land and our house and our past glories, that was all When I caland I learned to play I learned to become a lady, a cold and polite lady Did you know, it is not considered proper to have feelings in England? You must suppress them, you must pretend to be indifferent, and soin to feel as if you are dead”

Anger glittered a ain Suppressed She smiled at Max

“I’lad you’re not dead,” she said

Marietta felt it then, the tragic air that enfolded Susannah The silent suffering in the line of her mouth and the set of her shoulders Susannah was in pain, but whether it was justified or not, real or illusion, Marietta could not tell

“Max,” she

But Max was beyond understanding such subtleties “You’re glad I’er and betrayal that it made Marietta wince “Then why did you pay Slipper to kill me! Do you hate me so much? What have I ever done to you, Susannah? You’re my sister…”

“You don’t understand, Max,” she said, and sighed Her face was beautiful but it was also gaunt, as though her life was being eaten away fro to do with my love for you or yours for me This is to do with justice Papa took , so that he could use the money to save Valland House and rebuild his fortune My father had nothing, but he had me, and then the duke stole me too So my father took his own life Where was the justice in that, Max? Papa…the duke said he was sorry, afterwards, and I know he felt guilty when he looked at me I always remind him, you see, of the kind of man he really is”

“But that’s in the past,” Harold began

She turned on hiotten! It is alith me, always!”

“Susannah?” Harold was staring at her, hislike this? Max, why is she saying these things?”

“It’s all right, Harold” At once the anger was gone and her sentle “I want to explain I want Max to knohy”

“Knohat?” Harold whispered, but now there was dread in his face, as if he was beginning to realize they were entering a place from which there could be no return

“That the reason I tried to take him away from Papa was because Papa had taken , and he needs to be punished for it If I take Max from Papa, then he will understand Then he will suffer”

“You tried to kill me,” Max said bluntly

“Of course,” she replied “At first it was just a thought in my head, an impulse The day I threw the coins into the lake for you and Harold to dive in and fetch, that hen I thought, what if I throw Max’s closer to the reeds? What if he gets tangled in them and drowns? No one could blaiven my father what he wants from me Justice But you swim too well, Max So then Iout in it, but that didn’t work either There were other times, other accidents, but I didn’t really plan them They just seemed to happen I didn’t want you dead, you know, Max This isn’t about you, you can see that, can’t you? You understand, don’t you Max?”