Hunt for the Panther 3 (9781101610923) (15 page)

Scarlet was so deep in thought as she walked back to her father’s house that she didn’t notice the carriage until it was just a few yards away. She stopped and blinked hard. It was her father’s carriage, parked right outside his front door.

Which meant that he, Uncle Daniel, and Josephine were already home.

“Blast!” Scarlet cried. She ought to be in bed or at least draped dramatically across the parlor sofa.

She did an about-turn and zipped back around the corner, over a fence, and into the alley behind the house. She barged through the back door and into the kitchen, elbowing a maid out of the way and jostling the cook, who dropped an entire bag of salt into the soup she was making. Ignoring their shrieks, she ran on, taking the back stairs three at a time. Only at the top of the stairs did she stop to catch her breath.

Slowly, she opened the door to the upstairs hallway. It was empty, but she could hear voices in the library.

“Those gardens were spectacular,” Uncle Daniel was saying. “The gardener must have reams of plant knowledge.”

“But probably not the kind of knowledge you’re looking for,” said the admiral. “I doubt he knows about plant cures.”

That was it, then. Uncle Daniel was looking for a cure for the plague. Likely that was why the king had sent him here in the first place. It made Scarlet uneasy to think about Old Worlders combing the jungles for medicines. But now wasn’t the time to ponder it.

She took off her boots and tiptoed across the hallway, then slipped into her bedroom.

“Whew,” she breathed, closing the door behind her. “Safe. That was a—” She stopped as her eyes fell upon Josephine’s coat, spread out on the foot of her perfectly made bed. It hadn’t been there when Scarlet had left that morning, she was sure of it. Which could only mean that Josephine had come straight to their bedroom when she got home. Which could only mean that she’d seen Scarlet’s bed empty.

“Blimey!” Scarlet smacked her forehead. Her father was going to slay her. She was fish food.

She took a deep breath.
Not that it matters now,
she told herself.
All that matters is that I leave tonight. Father can be as angry as he wants—it won’t change anything.

She changed out of her shirt and trousers and into the simplest dress in the closet, then headed for the library. She didn’t need a mirror to tell her she looked like she’d been swept up by a hurricane, but neither did she care. She just had to make it through the day so she could leave that night when everyone was asleep.
Don’t think,
she reminded herself.
Just do.

“Scarlet,” her father said when she appeared at the door. “How are you?” He didn’t look angry, or even suspicious. She faltered a bit, then stepped inside.

“Um, I’m… feeling better,” she said slowly. It was impossible to tell how much he knew or suspected.

“You missed a very pleasant visit, dear,” said Uncle Daniel. “The gardens were stupendous. I’m continually impressed by how people can cultivate so many plants in this climate. I keep saying it, but the tropics are just so full of potential.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Scarlet thought she saw her father give his brother a hard look.

“How is your headache?” Josephine asked. Her face was easy to read. Her lips were pressed tightly together, and her eyes practically bored holes right into Scarlet’s.

“Oh.” Scarlet looked away. “It’s… better.” She cringed at the lie and tried to send Josephine a silent apology, the way she communicated with Sina.

Josephine walked away to look out the window.

It doesn’t matter,
Scarlet told herself throughout the afternoon, while Josephine sat by the window, knitting what appeared to be a small gray mouse and avoiding Scarlet’s eye.
What matters is the island, not your Old World cousin.

Whatever Josephine was feeling would not stand in the way of Scarlet getting home before Lucas and Captain Wallace arrived.

“Scarlet.” Her father stopped her on her way to bed, pulling her into the library and shutting the door behind him.

“Yes?” She swallowed hard, steeling herself for a
lecture, or worse. She tried to focus on her escape plan, which she would put into action as soon as everyone fell asleep.

“I just wanted to say…” He paused, then put both hands on her shoulders. “I’m proud of you.”

“What?” Scarlet took a step back. “Why?”

“These past few days haven’t been easy, but your effort has been admirable. Daniel and Josephine adore you. They don’t suspect a thing.”

“Well, I don’t know about that.” She looked down at her boots.

“They’ve had a difficult time, those two,” said the admiral. “Josephine’s mother’s death took quite a toll on them, as you and I can appreciate.”

“Right,” Scarlet said, now feeling even guiltier for lying to her cousin. But what could she have done differently?

It doesn’t matter,
she reminded herself.
All that matters tonight is the island.
But even she didn’t quite believe it anymore.

“You look tired,” her father said. “Go to bed now, and sleep well, my dear.”

She obeyed, trying not to think about how she was about to let him down, too. Being part of a family was just too hard.

Scarlet waited until Josephine’s breathing grew deep and even in the bed beside hers. Then she waited a few minutes more before peeling off her covers and swinging her legs out of bed. The moon shone through the tiny
window between their beds, illuminating her path to the closet, where her cabin boy clothes were stashed. She changed quickly, tucking her dagger inside her old boots.

Uncle Finn should never have taken the
Hop
without asking, but she was awfully glad he had. Now she had a way home, and although she’d never captained it by herself before, she was fairly certain she could—

“Where are you going?”

Scarlet yelped and spun around. Josephine was sitting up in bed, eyes wide and shining in the moonlight.

“Oh. Um.”

“And
why
are you dressed like a boy?” Josephine folded her hands in her lap and regarded Scarlet dead-on.

“Well.” Scarlet swallowed hard. “I’m just headed out for a midnight stroll. I do that sometimes. I’m an… in… insom… I don’t sleep well.”

Josephine kept staring at her. “I see. Is that what you were doing today while we were out?”

“Oh. Um. Yes?” Scarlet grimaced. Josephine had every right to demand an explanation, but Scarlet couldn’t very well explain it all
now
. “Look, Josephine, I have to go. Can we discuss this—”

Josephine reached over and lit the lamp on the table between their beds. “Tell me the truth,” she said. “Now.”

Scarlet started. “The truth? But … but I did. I’m an in… an im…”

Josephine hopped out of bed and looked Scarlet square in the eye. “The truth,” she said. “No more lies, Scarlet. I think we can both agree that this has gone on long enough.”

For a moment, Scarlet had half a mind to burst out the window and rappel down to the ground, as if escaping a ship she’d been raiding. But the window was too small, and she didn’t have any ropes, and anyway, Josephine’s stare was holding her in place.

“All right.” She sighed. “But let’s make this quick.”

Josephine folded her arms across her chest.

“I’m not who I said I am,” Scarlet began. “I’m not a lady or… or anything like it. In fact, I spend most of my time dressed like a boy, like this. I… I’m a pirate.”

Josephine did a double take. She obviously hadn’t expected
that.
“A… a…”

“Pirate,” Scarlet repeated. “At least, I used to be. Now I’m, well, I’m the guardian of one of these islands—the island where I was born. Remember the jungle I described to you the other day?”

Josephine nodded.

“That’s where I live, and there’s nothing in the world I love more than it. Tomorrow morning it’s going to be invaded. So I’m going back, right now, to protect it.”

Josephine looked at Scarlet as if she wasn’t sure whether to believe her or scream for their fathers. Without taking her eyes off her, she sank back down on the bed.

“I know this doesn’t make sense to you, and I’d explain better if I had more time,” Scarlet said. “Tell you what. If I can, I’ll come back before you leave, and I’ll explain everything then. Of course, it might be better if I stayed away, since my father’s going to kill me for running away, but…” She trailed off, distracted by the
image of her father’s frown. Then she snapped back to the present. “I’m sorry I lied to you. It’s actually been… nice… getting to know you. Even though, you know, we’re so different.”

Josephine didn’t reply. They stared at each other for a moment, then Scarlet shrugged and turned to leave. She opened the door slowly.

“You don’t think I’m just going to let you leave, do you?”

Scarlet whirled around. Josephine was standing with her hands on her hips. Scarlet closed the door.

“Sorry, what?”

“I’m not letting you leave.”

Despite the urgency of the situation, Scarlet almost laughed. “
You’re
going to stop
me
?”

Josephine drew herself up and stuck out her chin. “Not exactly,” she said. “I’m going with you.”

“You can’t be serious.”

Josephine was unsettlingly calm. “I
am
serious. I’m going with you.”

Scarlet almost grabbed her cousin by the shoulders and shook her. “Look. Josephine. You don’t understand. My home is very… uncomfortable. There are no beds. There is no cutlery. And there are lots of bugs. Big,
nasty
bugs.”

Josephine considered this, then nodded. “I’ll be all right.”

Scarlet closed her eyes and counted to five. “Let me try this again. You won’t like the journey. We have to sail for several hours on choppy seas, then hike through a jungle for several more. It’ll be hot. And it’ll be dirty. And it’ll be
dangerous
.” She tried to keep her voice down, although she really wanted to scream.

Josephine swallowed hard but smiled again. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me.”

Scarlet groaned and pulled off her cap, twisting it in her hands. “But… but
why
? Why would you want to come?”

“Well…” Josephine thought for a moment. “I suppose because I want to see who you really are.”

“Then let me
tell
you!” Scarlet cried. “But not now. I’ll explain everything later.”

Josephine shook her head. “I’m coming. And… and if you don’t let me, I can easily wake my father right now. And yours, too.”

Scarlet’s mouth fell open. “You wouldn’t.”

Josephine pressed her lips together.

“Okay, fine!” Scarlet threw her hands in the air. “You can come. But you can’t slow me down, or… or I’ll leave you behind.”

“I won’t.” Josephine darted to the closet. “Just let me get dressed.”

While her cousin pulled on a pink dress more suited to a Sunday picnic than a pirate ship, Scarlet paced the room. “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” she muttered to herself. “Father’s going to kill me. Uncle Daniel’s going to kill me. The crew is going to kill me.” She could only imagine what the Lost Souls would think of her prim and proper cousin. She opened her mouth to protest again, but Josephine cut her off.