Belladonna

8

Once everyone is seated, there is a moment of perfect silence, no movement.

Then Katherine spoons some mash onto her plate, pouring gravy carefully over it; its richness tempting and inviting. "Is something wrong, children?" Katherine asks, not looking away from her steaming potatoes. This seems to be the go-ahead, as Xavier and Sebastian start to shovel food onto their plates too. Unsure what to do, I simply take a piece of asparagus. Everything else is simply too far away on the grand stretch of the table, and I fear that I may knock over the gravy boat while reaching over. The last thing I need is for disaster to strike, when I haven't even spent a night here.

Xavier notices my tentativeness instantly. "Are you not hungry?" he asks me sweetly, drowning his dinner in gravy.

It's smell wafts over to me easily, working together with Xavier to tease me. "No," I say quickly, but my gurgling intestines quickly—and most irritatingly—betray my hunger. Xavier's lips lift up into a smirk as he pokes at his mash with a fork that I fail to name. Sebastian says nothing but merely reaches over, carrying the entire plate of mash over between me and him. He stares at me. "Well," he says, "Aren't you going to eat, then?" I blink at him, surprised. Xavier lets out a low hissing noise. "Do be quiet," Sebastian snaps at him. "It shan't be any fun if we let her starve on the first day, Xavier. Do be sensible." I'm not particularly sure how to feel about this—Sebastian doesn't want me to starve simply so he and his older brother can have a laugh while they torment me. "Thank you ever so much," I say sarcastically, scraping the last of the mash onto my plate with a roll of my eyes. "How kind of you."

Xavier merely sighs, and relief flashes over Sebastian's eyes, seeing that the bother he seems to worship as a god is not truly cross with him. "So, Xavier," I say, making an effort at false friendliness; after all, Katherine is watching. Not obviously, but I know enough about her to know that her complicated mind is taking in every bit of this, evaluating it, all of it ebbing and flowing into her memory. I find myself wondering what her memory is like. She must remember everything—I'm certain. "What age are you?"

Xavier scowls, setting his fork down with a clatter. "Don't ask questions," he snaps. "It's not any..." he trails off suddenly, catching Katherine's eye, which holds a sharp glare. As soon as she sees it has had the desired effect, she looks back down at her food. "It's not anything you'll be interested in." Xavier finishes flatly. "No, I am quite interested," I say. Xavier sighs, glancing over at his brother. For a moment, it is as though they are telepathically conversing with each other, deciding if now is quite the right moment to impale me with their forks. Apparently, it is not. "I'm sixteen," Xavier says at last. "Seventeen in a few days—Sebastian over there is fourteen, like you, and—" Xavier stops abruptly, his eyes widening by a fraction as his eyes dart nervously towards Katherine. "And what?" I ask, dropping my fork and leaning forward. "And nothing," Xavier says, regaining his nonchalant demeanour quickly, "I'm sixteen; Sebastian is fourteen." "Right," I say, feeling unusually deflated. I hate not knowing about certain secrets. It's enough to pique even the most dormant of curiosities, because it truly doesn't make sense.

There is a third brother in this house.

And I won't call myself Arabella if I don't find him.

"So," I say, deciding this is my final attempt at being friendly. "You said you were seventeen in a few days." Seventeen feels strange on my lips. Sixteen is still quite alright, but seventeen seems to be in a whole other category, making him three years my senior. "When is your birthday?" Another sigh leaves his lips. "In a few days, like I told you," Xavier answers stiffly. "And I've gotten the most splendid birthday present." Both my eyebrows go up. "What is it?" I ask, glad that Katherine, who seems to have a strong distaste for her sons, would have the grace to get them presents on their special day.