The walk was incredibly boring. Dane Wiltshire was silent and impossible. He was terrible company. A waste of a beautiful morning, I thought, walking beside him. The sun was warming the chilly air. I was protected from the chill by Dane’s sweater. But not protected from the coldness of Dane himself. Every attempt on my part or my sister’s to engage him in conversation met a dead end. “Lovely morning, isn’t it?” I said as we stepped out my front door. “Hmm.” “This must be delightful for you, Dane.” “Umm?” “Taking a walk, I mean. In the sunlight. I hear you don’t get out much.” “Take the path through the park.” He put his hand on my elbow and steered me into the park. “Splendid,” said Fawna. “Don’t you love our beautiful park?” “This must be a rare treat for you.” I forced a tone of happiness into my voice. “Umm.” It was hopeless. He didn’t bother to hide his disdain for Fawna and me. I suppose it was because we were not “of his class.” But then why didn’t he take his wre

We settled into overstuffed chintz chairs in the salon at Mon Repos. A servant brought some fine oolong with a plate of tea cookies on a silver tray. Dane poured the tea into such exquisite porcelain cups that I was embarrassed at what Mother called “our best China.” Expecting the best after the exchange outside about poison gardens, Fawna and I tried to engage our host in conversation—and failed miserably. As during the walk, he met every question with a grunt or “hmm” or “uh-huh” or, at best, a one-word answer. His tone seemed embarrassed, but I decided he must be motivated by arrogance. Why would a man of his stature—and an Alpha, to boot—be embarrassed about talking to two lowly sisters such as us? Fawna and I exchanged glances of frustration. I wondered how he could be so congenial one minute and then haughty, rude, and incommunicative the next. Was this some Lupine trait I’d never heard of? I dismissed that idea. My parents were both Lupine, and neither was so taciturn. In

The beautiful woman in green, Gwaniella, was introduced to us. She was initially cordial, but after a few pleasantries she alienated us with her ill-mannered remarks, sarcastically suggesting that Fawna and I get ourselves scratched or bitten so we might remain on Vukasin Island during full moon week with our parents.It was an incredible breech of good etiquette, suggesting such an awful thing. And it embarrassed everyone present. A chill came over the room, Dane blanched, being a Lupine himself, and his friend’s face turned bright red. Everyone was mortified by the remark.Everyone except Gwaniella, of course, who couldn’t understand her own faux pas.Her brother Edin came to everyone’s rescue, breaking the wall of ice that had formed, by suggesting we all take a walk along the shore to his house next door, for lunch.As soon as we got outside and descended the steps from Dane’s veranda to the beach, Gwaniella stepped forward and

As Edin led us through the salon and into his luxurious dining room, I noticed, with great disappointment, that Gwaniella was clutching Dane’s arm. I had hoped to be seated beside him at lunch and perhaps overcome his reluctance to engage in conversation. Perhaps his behavior wasn’t arrogance, but shyness? I wanted to find out. But Gwaniella spoiled that plan. She managed to be seated beside him. He didn’t seem to resist her affections, and I assumed there was something between them.That was fine with me. Dane Wiltshire had shown himself to be rude, arrogant, and condescending. So what did I want with him? Yes, he was handsome, but, how does the saying go? “Handsome is as handsome does.” I think the word in the saying is “pretty” and that it’s applied to women, but no matter. I applied it here. Let Dane have Gwaniella or vice versa. The two of them were nothing to me.Meanwhile, Edin sat at the head of the table with his

We were just about to have the servants carry my sister into the bathroom, to submerge her in the tub of frozen water. I hoped this would at least bring down her fever, for even though unconscious, she was still perspiring profusely, and her forehead was almost scalding hot.Suddenly there was a knock at the door. And not just a knock, but a hard and loud and insistent pounding that sounded threatening and seemed almost to portend danger.But instead of danger, it brought the promise of potential cure for my dying sister.The servant opened the front door, which was visible from the salon where my sister lay unconscious on the sofa. On the front step stood a short, fat, balding little man with a black bag in one hand and a bottle of wine in another. Behind him stood the servant Edin had sent to fetch the doctor.The little man rushed in, not waiting to be invited or announced by the servant. “It’s aconite poisoning, yes?”“Y