A Game of Colours

Chapter 38: A Photograph

I ignore Lewis at breakfast the next morning, intentionally not eating the bread she stole from the Hemmings, as delicious and fresh as it looks. There's also an assortment of chocolates and coffee that I'm sure she didn't pay for either, but didn't bother mentioning to me yesterday after my little outburst in the middle of the street. I learned yesterday that the two of us are completely different people.

She smiles at me sarcastically, a playful gleam in her eyes as she rips off a crunchy piece of bread, chewing slowly and savouring the moment. I kick her under the chair, to which she growls at me, but I feign confusion when Jim looks up at us.

He quirks an eyebrow, opening his mouth to speak, but quickly deciding against it with a brief shake of his head.

"How did your mission go yesterday?" he asks instead.

"Well, that depends Jim," says Lewis mischievously, "how much did you enjoy your breakfast?"

"All this?" he asks, eyes widening.

"Alice here was an excellent distraction. Mizzus Hemmings took quite a liking to her, bought me some time. I managed to snatch far more than I could when I go alone. This food wouldn't be here without Alice," she says brightly, a challenging look in her eyes as she watches for my reaction.

Jim smiles broadly, patting me on the back in congratulation.

I clench my fists angrily, unable to believe she gives me any credit for such a terrible thing.

"Well, I'm glad you took up your post so quickly, Alice! I knew you would be an asset to us."

"No, no," I say coldly, "Lewis is the real asset."

I smile cheekily at my play on words, and the angry flash in her stormy, brown eyes tells me she registered my message.

"Well, I'm glad to see the two of you make such a great pair," exclaims Jim cheerily, "it's been much harder on Lewis since she's started doing the job on her own. She and Alex made quite the team."

Jim's eyes widen as soon as he realizes what he said, and he clamps his hand over his mouth, as if he can take it back. I watch Lewis' eyes glaze over, and her lips purse into a thin line. Her face goes several shades lighter, as if she's about to be sick.

"Excuse me," says Lewis abruptly, sliding out of her wooden chair with a loud creak and leaving the room.

"Ah," is all Jim can say. We remain quiet for a few moments, before he rises to clear the table. I realize that this is one of the only opportunities I have to find out what happened with Lewis, and take a gamble at using it.

"Who is--or, was--Alex?" I ask slowly, "why does she do that whenever someone mentions him?"

Jim shakes his head sadly, his green eyes tormented and cloudy like a turbulent sea.

"I should not have said his name so carelessly," he mutters.

"But why?" I persist.

Jim's eyes harden when they look at me. His jaws are clenched and his eyebrows furrowed in thought. His posture is rigid, and I know that the subject is a delicate one for him too.

"It is her story to tell to you when she is ready to do so," he says flatly, "However, I believe that that wound is still too fresh to sprinkle salt over. Do not speak of him unless she does so to you."

"Am I replacing him? Is that why you needed someone else to help you here?"

Jim gives me a warm smile. "My desire for your assistance has nothing to do with Alex no longer being a part of this team. You are here because we needed you, not because we lost him."