“Come in,” she heard Kat call softly, and Amala opened the door to see Kat resting on the bed. “Oh, I was hoping it would be you!” Kat grinned and held out a hand toward Amala, who hurried to sit on the edge of the bed and take Kat’s hand.

“Are you unwell?” Amala asked, recalling now her mention of feeling nauseous.

Kat laughed softly. “I have all the normal symptoms of pregnancy,” she said and went on to share details of the nausea, which was improving but had been dreadful the first couple of months. She talked of needing to always keep food in her stomach and said she never went to bed without making certain there was something within reach on the bedside table that she could eat the moment she woke up. She talked of her excessive fatigue and of how she couldn’t get through the day without a nap and was going to bed much earlier than usual. Kat told Amala she’d had some occasional light-headedness as well, but she assured Amala that the doctor had told her all of these things were a completely normal part of pregnancy. But Amala wondered what Kat wasn’t telling her. Whatever it was, she needed to know. She had to understand what she’d seen in Henry’s countenance that made her feel cold from the inside out just recalling it.

“Kat,” Amala said carefully, “is something else wrong? Is there something you aren’t telling me?”

“Why would you ask me that?” Kat asked with a hint of defensiveness, and Amala knew she was trying to keep something from her.

While Amala was trying to come up with a reasonable way to explain all of the different hints she’d accumulated that let her know there was a problem, the door opened and Henry came in. He didn’t look surprised to see Amala there, but he did say, “Forgive me if I’m intruding. I’ll leave the two of you alone to talk if you prefer.”

“We’re just chatting,” Kat said, reaching her free hand toward him.

Amala mentally adjusted to the dramatic changes that had taken place as she observed the way Henry kissed Kat on the forehead before he took her hand and sat on the opposite side of the bed from Amala.

Amala took full advantage of having Henry there as her ally. She knew he wanted her to get answers from Kat, but she’d also just realized that Kat was not eager to be forthcoming. With Henry in the room, perhaps she could get the information she needed.

“Kat was just telling me about all the undesirable symptoms of pregnancy,” Amala said. “It sounds rather challenging.”

“But well worth it,” Kat said, smiling at Henry.

“Although I get the feeling there is something else going on,” Amala said, keeping her gaze keenly on her sister. “Something she doesn’t want to tell me.”