Page 27 of The House of Quiet

Chapter Twenty-One

A Bird at Play

Everything feels off this morning. Not just because they’re all bleary-eyed and tired and there’s strange, angry tension from River and disconnected apathy from Minnow, but because something in the atmosphere is pressing down. Birdie’s head is packed full of cotton.

She can’t stop watching Minnow. Minnow claimed not to have been up early, but she’s different today. Birdie had started to trust her, but maybe she was wrong to. Because if there’s a spy in the House of Quiet other than Birdie, who’s to say that spy hasn’t been more successful?

Maybe Birdie’s been too focused on the House Wife’s room. Maybe she needs to get into Minnow’s first.

“Storm coming.” Minnow looks out the window as everyone finishes the toast and eggs River slammed in front of them. “Guess we can’t play outside today.”

Lake bursts into a peal of laughter. It’s so shocking to have her mentally here with them for once that everyone else laughs, too. Even dull-eyed Sky in the corner cracks a distracted smile.

“We should play today,” Birdie says, putting her hands on her hips. Cook’s not awake, and the House Wife hasn’t made her usual breakfast appearance. Who can get mad at them?

Besides, Lake, Nimbus, and Dawn are practically still children.

And the rest of them—well, they aren’t much older, are they?

They deserve a day off. Even working in the big houses, they managed to cobble together times to let loose.

There’s nothing to do in the House of Quiet but wait around for their turn at treatment.

Of course everyone is exhausted and worn thin.

Plus, a little disruption might be exactly what Birdie needs. She’s been playing her part too well, and it’s gotten her nowhere. If the House Wife hates noise, they’ll just have to make more and see if she doesn’t come out of her room.

“But we don’t have any toys,” Dawn says. She sits up straighter, trying to pitch her voice lower to sound more serious. “I mean, we have no paddleball sets, or darts, or even a lawn.”

Birdie takes Dawn’s hands and pulls her up from the table. “I grew up without any of those things. No one can make better games out of nothing than kids from my quarter.”

Birdie gathers a length of twine used for tying meat, a packet of stale crackers, and a tin of sugared fruit rinds. How had she not noticed that before?

“Is there something to mark the floor?” she asks. “Not permanently, though.” Birdie will have to clean whatever messes they make.

Forest puts a hand on her shoulder. She knows it’s him instinctively because of the jolt it sends through her. It’s the first time he’s touched her deliberately. She glances down at his long, elegant fingers, his hand engulfing her shoulder. Her breath catches.

She looks up at him. He points toward the hallway and walks out. He’s taking care of her request. It’s amazing how quickly they’ve come to understand each other.

“Well, come on,” Birdie says to the others, trying to sound like she isn’t crumbling inside with how badly she wants Forest to touch her again. “We aren’t playing in the kitchen.”

“The study?” Minnow asks. Everyone is excited by this idea except her. Which is odd, because she’s so competitive during their card games. Maybe Minnow and River had a falling out. River certainly seems upset. But Minnow doesn’t.

“Top floor.” It’s perfect. A wide, open space. Birdie’s annoyed she didn’t think of it sooner. But then again, she’s a maid, not a nanny. She’s never been in charge of entertaining before. Just making it appear that the house and everything in it cleans itself.

Minnow scowls. “We can’t.”

“Why not?”

“We’re not allowed up there.”

“No one said that.”

“The stairs being locked says they aren’t.” Minnow juts her chin out toward the residents filing out of the kitchen. “Besides, the House Wife will need help. And Rabbit’s not down here yet.”

Birdie tries to hide her alarm. This is the first time Minnow has implied she wants the role of the House Wife’s maid. If Minnow stays down here and the House Wife comes out, she’ll get into that room before Birdie does. Is that what Minnow’s shift in demeanor is about?

“Come or don’t; it’s up to you.” Birdie feigns indifference, but it’s not lost on her that Minnow hesitates in the foyer. She is trying to take the spot. Come to think of it, Minnow has always made sure to be in the kitchen or the hallway when the House Wife appears. Available and ready.

Birdie has to figure out what Minnow is really doing here, and she has to figure it out today.

With various sounds of excitement and grumbling acceptance, Lake, Dawn, River, Minnow, and even Sky wait as Birdie unlocks the stairway door. Sky seems barely awake, though he still stays as far away from her as possible.

“Dawn, will you fetch Nimbus?” Birdie asks. “We don’t want to leave him out.”

Forest appears from the direction of the study with a handful of chalk and charcoal. Birdie would never have risked taking supplies, but Forest is allowed. He holds them out for approval.

“Perfect. Much better than the old bricks we used to mark up the street,” Birdie says.

It is better. But the memories send a pang of longing through Birdie.

Magpie was still so small when Birdie left to start working.

What games did Magpie play without her? What adventures and intrigues and childhood triumphs and heartbreaks did she have?

Birdie hates that she missed those things, hates that she’s missed everything, hates that she’s still missing the one person she has to find.

She wants Forest to meet Magpie. She’s sure they’d get along.

Is she sure, though? She doesn’t know Magpie anymore. And outside this strange bubble of existence, would Forest even be her friend? Or is this the only place in the whole country where a rainy-day activity like this could happen?

Dawn guides Nimbus out, chattering happily to her unresponsive companion. It warms Birdie’s heart—unavoidably, thanks to Dawn’s ability. This outing isn’t necessary, but it feels right. Do what good you can, where you can.

“Up!” Birdie declares, unlocking the door to the stairs.

Dawn’s eyes are wide, like she’s engaging in a transgressive act.

River helps her with Nimbus, each of them taking one of his hands.

Lake seems to not know where she is again, so Forest steps in.

Birdie brings up the rear with Sky. He has to press his whole body against the wall to maintain a distance between them, but it’s automatic, like he doesn’t even know he’s doing it.

“Where are we going?” he murmurs, blinking in the dim light.

“To play some games.”

To Birdie’s relief, Minnow darts into the stairwell after them. She still looks nervous, though.

“Do you want to get Rabbit, or do you want me to?” Birdie asks.

“Leave her where she is,” Minnow says.

River glares back down at Minnow before peeling off down the hallway toward the maids’ rooms. “I’ll get her.”

Interesting. Something is wrong between them. A breakup, or a conflict between conspirators?

“What?” Minnow snaps.

Birdie tears her eyes away from where they’ve fixed on her adversary. “Nothing.”

At the top of the stairs, Forest has already gotten to work drawing a series of numbers on the floor. The small round windows let in enough light for them to function, but it’s gloomy. Or maybe that’s just Birdie’s mood despite Dawn’s effect.

River joins them. “Rabbit’s not there,” she says. “The House Wife must have needed her early. No treatment for Sky today, I suppose.” She juts her chin out toward where Sky sits, charcoal in hand, mindlessly rubbing it back and forth on one of the boards.

Birdie tries not to look upset, but she is. Yet another chance to jump in to help the House Wife ruined. The one morning she doesn’t get up early and Rabbit somehow does.

“Sky, are you done with treatment?” River asks.

Sky doesn’t respond.

“It’s got to be soon.” River says it lightly, but Birdie despairs hearing it.

That’s probably the tension between River and Minnow.

River’s going to claim the next treatment spot, and they’re worried about it.

All this time Birdie spent building trust with the residents, and the one that mattered most was never going to help her.

She should have known better than to relax, better than to enjoy herself, laughing and chatting and playing card games.

“What’s the twine for?” Dawn calls. Her braid this morning is her best yet after Birdie tried to teach her and then Minnow grumblingly took over.

Birdie sets aside her worries and frustrations to focus on the task at hand. The better she is at pretending nothing is wrong, the easier it will be to catch Minnow and River in whatever act they’re trying to commit.

“For fun,” Birdie declares.

They play three-foot monster, sightless search, hop-top.

Dawn draws everyone’s portraits on the walls—she’s not technically accurate but captures the feel of each of them, down to Sky’s sleepy sneer—and Lake shocks them by beating everyone in foot races.

Birdie suspects Forest threw it, though.

There’s no way with his lanky stride he couldn’t win.

When she catches his eye after, he doesn’t so much as betray a smile, but he does wink at her.

She looks down to hide her own warm rush of a smile.

Sky doesn’t participate, but he seems content. And Nimbus is as relaxed as she’s seen him so far. His eyes track less, and there are a few times when she could swear he briefly makes eye contact. Maybe all of them being together like this is good for him.

The most likely answer, though, is that they’ve managed to make Dawn so genuinely happy they have no choice but to be the same. Even Minnow laughs, the sound echoing loudly around them as River tries to teach them all a formal dance. Minnow can’t manage the moves to save her life.

“No, I lead,” River says.

“I don’t want you to lead,” Minnow responds, deliberately trying to trip River. Dawn watches, clapping the beat no one is moving to.

“The birds are all gone,” Lake says, staring sadly upward. She starts drifting toward the far tower. “No more messages. All alone.”

“No!” Minnow drops River’s hands. She sprints across the space and roughly grabs Lake’s arm, pulling her back toward the group. When Birdie catches her eye, Minnow looks away.

“It’s not safe,” she says. “The tower stairs are missing steps. If any of them get hurt, it’ll be our necks.”

It’s true. But Minnow managed to panic despite Dawn’s contagious happiness.

Which means she has incredibly strong feelings about no one going in that tower.

And she also knows that there are stairs and some of them are missing.

Which means she’s explored this space more thoroughly than Birdie ever did.

As though to diffuse any lingering attention, Minnow takes charge, directing new games. The rain slashes against the windows, making the cavernous room feel almost cozy. The hours tick by. Minnow plays like she has nothing to hide, all while keeping everyone focused on their activities.

“I’m sorry, my doves,” River says at last, “but I insist we break for lunch. Otherwise, I’ll get too hungry, and I’ll have to eat whoever is youngest and plumpest and prettiest.”

Dawn squeaks in mock fear as River growls and chases her toward the stairs. The others follow, Minnow eagerly shepherding them.

Birdie stops on the stairs at the maids’ hallway. “I’ll see if Rabbit’s back and wants to eat,” she calls, waiting until she hears the stair door at the bottom open and then close.

Birdie goes back up. She hops over Forest’s squares and numbers, careful not to smudge them. The stairs at the far tower await. Stairs that are in perfect working condition, with not a single board missing. Which Minnow already knew, because she’s the one who “cleaned” this room.

Birdie should have explored better. She should know better than anyone that just because something appears empty and plain doesn’t mean there isn’t something going on inside.

At the top of the stairs is a trapdoor. It’s dark, but she feels around until she finds a latch.

She catches the swinging door just before it bangs against the wall.

Gray, rain-streaked light filters down from the tower windows, illuminating a cage holding pigeons.

On the floor next to the cage is a small leather pouch.

Birdie undoes the tie and peers inside. Oil pencils and tiny slips of paper.

Someone’s sending messages. And it isn’t Cook or the House Wife, because they have no reason to hide it.

When Birdie climbs down and turns around, she almost isn’t surprised to find Minnow waiting, knife in hand.

“I wish you hadn’t gone up there,” Minnow says.