“Stop.” Camille shook her head. “If you say it’s going well, it won’t. Such a declaration is like a curse. So I would be most appreciative if you kept any such observation to yourself.”

“Very well.” Beryl thought for a moment. “May I say it’s going poorly then? That this house of cards you’ve built is likely to collapse at any moment, bringing it all down around your head? May I further add that I told you so?”

“No. But I do appreciate how difficult it is for you to restrain yourself.”

“Oh, I’m certain the opportunity will yet be presented.” Beryl studied her. “I have never known you to be superstitious before.”

“I am clinging to any advantage that might avail itself at the moment, including superstition.” Her gaze settled on her younger sister. “And you and I need to do something about Delilah.”

“My thoughts exactly. What did you have in mind? Lock her in the attic? As we did when she was a child?”

“We’re not proud of that, it was dreadful of us. And we will certainly not do it now or ever again.” She glanced at her twin. “We need to be nicer to her.”

“Why?”

“Because she is our sister, our only sister, and we have treated her abominably.”

“No worse than she’s treated us.”

“Perhaps, but . . .” Camille searched for the right words. “It has been brought to my attention that it’s entirely possible that Delilah might behave the way she does toward us because we have not included her in our lives.”

“And?”

“And we should,” Camille said firmly. “We should make more of an effort to see her.”

“We went to her wedding. And her husband’s funeral.”

“We need to see her when it’s not a wedding or a funeral or a family occasion that we are required to attend. We should invite her to join us at the Ladies Tearoom when we meet there, or when we attend gallery openings or lectures or museum exhibits.”

Beryl stared. “Why?”

“Because we should, that’s why. We have never made an effort to include her or really even get to know her better. Why, she’s practically a stranger.”

“No doubt because we were grown and had our own lives before she was of an age to be interesting. Not that she is now.”

“Nonsense. I’m certain she is quite interesting. And, as I said, she is the only sister we have, and we should treat her as such.”

“I still don’t see. . . .” Beryl’s eyes widened. “Oh, now I understand.” She cast Camille an admiring look. “How very clever of you.”

“What is very clever of me?”

“If we befriend our dear younger sister, she will be much more inclined to embrace your deception.” Beryl’s gaze shifted to Delilah. “As it is, she looks as if she has eaten something that has disagreed with her.”