Her brother gave only a smile to this accusation, and soon afterwards said, “I do not quite know what to make of Miss Fanny. I do not understand her. I could not tell what she would be at yesterday. What is her character? Is she solemn? Is she queer?[19] Is she prudish? Why did she draw back and look so grave at me? I could hardly get her to speak. I never was so long in company with a girl in my life, trying to entertain her, and succeed so ill! Never met with a girl who looked so grave on me! I must try to get the better of this. Her looks say, ‘I will not like you, I am determined not to like you’; and I say she shall.”

“Foolish fellow! And so this is her attraction after all! This it is, her not caring about you, which gives her such a soft skin, and makes her so much taller, and produces all these charms and graces! I do desire that you will not be making her really unhappy. A little love, perhaps, may animate and do her good, but I will not have you plunge her deep, for she is as good a little creature as ever lived (which is saying very much, coming from me) and has a great deal of feeling. Oh, and another thing—” here Miss Crawford paused meaningfully, throwing off all her playfulness of moments earlier.

“She knows, Henry. She knows what I am.”

Henry raised a brow quizzically. “Is that so?”

“And—she is also impervious to me.”

“What?”

“She cannot be controlled in the way of the dark. And—” Mary drew closer and lowered her voice, “she also knows and sees all the rest, too. She knows and senses all that is going on behind the—scenes—at Mansfield Park. She watches the dark ancient lord of Egypt, and the lycantropes. She—I am afraid, my dear, she will constitute a problem for us.”

Henry remained silent, plunged in sudden dark thoughts by this revelation. Eventually he said: “I was right to think her unusual, special. This, then was the underlying cause. How strong is she?”

“Remarkably so. And she does not even realize it.”

“Well then. I will proceed with what I lightly planned to do—but now, taking this news unto due consideration—thanks to you, sister—it will be serious.”

“Serious? I do not think you can charm her, Henry.

“Observe me, my dear.”

Miss Crawford signed, half mockery, half darkness.