I could call for a cab. I could call anybody. I could call Barrett.

And Laura didn’t even know.

I FINISHED ARRANGING the flowers just as Laura walked out of the kitchen with two bowls of spinach salad topped with grilled chicken. She set them on the table.

I glanced at the hall. “Should I get Agatha?”

“No, dear. Not today.” And then she gestured for me to sit down. “She’s taking a little nap.”

A nap? At lunchtime?

“Don’t look so concerned,” Laura said, a gentle smile on her lips. “She’s fine. I’m working with Dr. Reed to make sure we don’t end up with a repeat of last night.”

“Dr. Reed said she needs to sleep all day?”

She set down her fork, hitting her plate with a loud click. “I’m sorry, the subject is closed.”

“Okay, sorry,” I said.

The rest of our meal was awkward. I felt like I’d taken an ax and wedged it directly between us, and Laura didn’t seem willing to move past it. She wasn’t angry, I don’t think, but she didn’t speak to me, either.

Bad orphan, Margot. Very bad orphan.

LAURA ASKED ME to stay out of the nursery so Agatha would be undisturbed.

But then Agatha skipped dinner, too. Laura claimed she’d woken for a while and eaten a big meal to make up for missing lunch, but I hadn’t seen any evidence of this and wondered if it was true.

After dinner, I did the dishes, and then I went upstairs to shower and get ready for bed. When I went into the nursery, Agatha was already in bed, asleep, with Laura standing over her.

Laura turned to me, raised her finger to her lips, and whispered, “Shhhh. She’s worn out, sweet girl.”

“She’s been asleep for most of the day,” I replied, keeping my voice low. “How can she be worn out?”

“I spoke to Dr. Reed, and we’ve adjusted her medications a bit,” Laura said. “So I think it will be smoother sailing from now on.”

“New medication? Does the doctor think she’s getting worse?”

“No, no,” Laura said. “She’s doing fine.”

LAURA BROUGHT MY tea and handed it over. “Careful, it’s very hot. The new electric kettle is a bust, I’m afraid. I should go back to using Grandmother’s old one.”

I took a sip and did indeed burn my taste buds right off.

“I’ll just wait,” I said, setting it aside.

“Probably a good idea,” Laura said, a bit sarcastically.

She was treating me a little differently now. Maybe it was because Barrett and John were both gone and I was the only human contact she had (not counting Agatha, of course). Or maybe it was because we’d talked about Lily, and sharing her pain had made her feel closer to me.

Whichever it was, I didn’t like it.