As she shook Ben’s father’s hand, Ben’s mother strolled over. Slow clicking followed the human. Pearl guessed the sound was from the spikes attached to the heels of her shoes. Elyse’s head tilted to the side, inspecting Pearl. ‘Such a pretty face. What brand of makeup do you use?’
‘I don’t use makeup,’ Pearl said, staring at Elyse’s unnaturally red lips.
‘How lucky for you,’ she said with a tinkling laugh.
‘Mom,’ Ben warned.
‘What is it, dear?’
‘You’re obsessed,’ Harry said.
‘I can’t compliment a nice-looking girl? Sue me.’
Peter cleared his throat. ‘How about some drinks?’
Harry and his father walked across the room to a piece of furniture that held several glasses and bottles in buckets of ice.
‘Pearl,’ Elyse said, drawing her attention. ‘What do you think of our humble small town?’
‘It’s different than my home,’ Pearl said.
‘I can imagine it is. This place is one of a kind.’ Elyse’s gaze swept across the room as if seeing it for the first time. ‘Where are you staying while you’re here?’
‘At the inn,’ Ben said quickly.
Pearl hadn’t remembered Ben calling Uncle Greg’s home an inn, but from the way his jaw clenched she decided not to say anything against it.
Elyse smiled at her son. Once again, the sparkle didn’t reach her eyes as it did for Ben when he looked at her. Pearl didn’t get a good feeling from Ben’s mother like she had with Mrs. Jones. ‘I had to ask.’
‘What do you mean?’ Ben asked.
‘It wouldn’t be appropriate for you to have this girl in your apartment. What would people think?’ Elyse sipped from a thin glass with bubbling liquid inside.
‘Mom—’ Ben started.
‘Thank you for inviting me for a brunch,’ Pearl said, interrupting their argument. She didn’t like the way Ben’s lip curled toward his mother. Gratitude seemed to go a long way with the humans, and she would do anything to stop their conversation.
Elyse shook her head and stared at Pearl as if she saw her for the first time. ‘Oh, isn’t she precious. Harry said you’re from overseas?’
‘Yes,’ Pearl said.
‘Come, have some champagne,’ Elyse said. ‘I want to hear all about your travels.’
Ben’s lips pressed together. Pearl wanted him to feel at ease. She touched his hand, the way he had touched her before. It had given her a lightness in her body, and she hoped it would do the same for him.
His hand flipped over, and his fingers curled around hers. ‘Sorry.’
‘You did nothing,’ she said.
He leaned closer to her, enough that his chest brushed against her arm. A breath caught in her throat. ‘You make this easier for me.’
Pearl searched the depths of his eyes for another meaning. Since they’d met, Ben had told her what was on his mind. She sensed Elyse had hidden words behind what she spoke. Ben wasn’t like that. ‘I like being here too.’
Elyse clicked over to them again, and Ben stepped away from Pearl.
‘Here you go.’ Elyse handed Pearl a glass full of bubbly liquid.
Pearl sipped it. The bubbles tickled her nose, but the sharp taste of the liquid made her cough.
‘Oh, dear.’ Elyse held her hand out in front of her. ‘Do you need help?’
Ben handed Pearl a napkin from the table.
‘This is good,’ Pearl said, wiping the cloth against her mouth.
‘You’ve never had champagne before?’ Elyse asked.
Pearl shook her head.
Elyse pressed her hand against her chest. ‘Interesting. Where did you say you were from again?’
Pearl motioned her hand toward the crashing waves outside. ‘Out there.’
Ben and Elyse stared at her as if waiting for her to give a better answer. A frenzy of thoughts moved through her mind. None of them made sense and were too quick to grab. Her skin flushed, and she had the urge to run out of the house into the ocean.
‘Where’s Carolina?’ Harry asked.
A rush of air tumbled out of Pearl’s mouth as Ben and Elyse turned their attention to Harry.
‘She called, honey,’ Elyse said. ‘She’s running a few minutes late. At least she had the decency to let me know.’
Ben huffed. ‘We were on time.’
‘On time is late,’ Peter said. He held a small stick, which pierced two unfamiliar green pieces of food. He dragged the stick through his drink. ‘I don’t know how many times I’ve had to make that excuse to our clients for Ben.’
‘Name one meeting I’ve been late for,’ Ben said while Harry said, ‘She’s probably spending all that time getting ready.’
‘You can’t rush beauty,’ Elyse said, lifting her chin. ‘You’d do well to understand that before you get married. Right, Pearl?’
Pearl barely heard her name as Ben glared at his father. Peter seemed unfazed.
‘What lovely hair you have, dear,’ Elyse said to Pearl, picking at the strands. ‘It could use a little more finesse.’
‘Thank you,’ Pearl said.
Elyse covered a small laugh with her hand.
Ben lightly squeezed Pearl’s arm. Her skin tingled where he touched her.
‘I’m going to show Pearl around,’ Ben said, lifting his chin in the direction of where they entered the room.
‘I’ll come,’ Harry said, jumping to her side.
Pearl placed the glass on the table and followed the brothers from the room.
‘I shouldn’t have brought you here,’ Ben muttered. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘Sorry, for what?’ she asked.
‘What she said about your hair, it wasn’t a compliment,’ Harry said. ‘Mom—’
Ben punched his little brother in the arm, stopping his words.
‘What was that for?’ Harry tried to retaliate, but Ben moved away too quickly.
‘This is why you don’t have a girlfriend. You have no idea how to talk to women.’
‘At least I’m not hanging out with other girls around Carolina.’
‘What does that have to do with anything?’ Ben asked.
Harry lifted his gaze to the ceiling. ‘You know Carolina is in love with you. You and Pearl were together last night. I saw Uncle Greg’s keys were missing.’
Ben swallowed, and the ball against his throat bobbed. ‘She had nowhere else to go. Also, I’m not sneaking around. Carolina is just a friend. I’ve told all of you that before.’
‘She thinks you are to be betrothed,’ Pearl said.
Harry and Ben stared at her.
‘What did you say?’ Harry asked.
Pearl met Ben’s eyes. ‘Carolina thinks you’re to be married.’
‘That’s not happening,’ Ben said.
‘She said that?’ Harry asked.
‘Would you get out of here? You’re making everyone uncomfortable,’ Ben said.
‘How?’ Harry asked.
A shrill sound filled the room, and Pearl jumped.
‘Better get that,’ Harry said, smirking. ‘It’s your wife.’
‘Why don’t you get it?’ Ben asked. ‘You’re the one who’s in love with her.’
‘I’m not.’ Harry’s voice trembled, and he tossed a worried glance toward the door.
‘Well, I’m not going to let her stand there,’ Ben said. ‘I’ll be right back.’
Once Ben was gone, Harry turned to Pearl. ‘Let me show you the rest of the house.’
Pearl glanced over her shoulder at Ben, wishing Harry would have left instead. With no choice but to follow, she trudged up the stairs with Harry by her side.
Chapter 13
Harry escorted Pearl through the upper level of the house. The decor and vastness of the rooms were a mix between Carolina and Uncle Greg’s home. Harry and Ben’s childhood bedrooms were cozy and highlighted their differing personalities, while other rooms were either closed and forbidden or as sterile as the first flo
or.
‘I stay here when I’m home from college,’ Harry said. ‘Mom insists I come back for the town events. Ben has his own place and tortures me by forcing me to stay with Mom and Dad. He has enough room, but he likes his privacy. He moved out the second he graduated from college. Which is what I intend to do.’
Harry opened a door, revealing a set of hidden stairs. ‘This is my favorite place in the house.’
Pearl followed him to the next level. Against the wall were tall bookshelves. Between them, a small space with a desk. The floor was springy and made of white threads. There wasn’t a mark on the surface, as if no one had been up there in some time. Harry opened a set of glass doors, and the familiar scent of the ocean enveloped her.
Outside, on a covered balcony, a full view of the ocean stretched as far as she could see.
Pearl surged closer to her home. ‘This is beautiful.’
‘Yeah,’ Harry said. ‘Ben and I used to come up here when we were little to hide from our nanny.’
Pearl placed her hands on the wooden barrier and peered at the sand below. If she were ever to live as a human, she wanted a view like this every day for the rest of her life.
The idea struck her enough that she couldn’t draw in a full breath. As much as she tried to shake it away, it remained.
Harry bumped her arm as he moved to stand next to her. She bent her elbow to give herself more space. ‘We don’t take girls up here.’
‘Oh,’ she said, unsure of his meaning. ‘Should I go?’
He laughed. ‘No, not at all. It’s a special place. It’s private.’ His gaze fell to her lips, and her stomach flipped. She wasn’t sure why she reacted that way, but she wanted nothing more than to flee as he leaned closer to her.
‘Harry!’ Ben said from the doorway.
Harry jumped away from Pearl. ‘What is it, man?’
Ben leaned against the door, propping it open. ‘You didn’t hear the dinner bell?’
Harry scoffed. ‘We’ll be right there.’
‘Let’s go, now,’ Pearl said, walking over to Ben. ‘I’m hungry.’
Ben clicked his tongue. ‘She’s hungry. We should go.’ His eyebrows lifted, matching his mischievous smile.
*
When Pearl and Ben walked into the dining room again, Carolina and Elyse stood together in the corner. They spoke with their heads dipped toward each other. Carolina wore a tight-fitting long-sleeved dress with sharp spikes attached to her shoes like Elyse. Both women focused on Pearl. Their eyes mirrored those of the bigger predators she’d faced at home. Though, as quickly as she noticed it, both women changed their demeanors and smiled at her. Pearl knew enough about Elyse and Carolina to realize that they were not genuine smiles.
‘Pearl, it’s so great to see you again,’ Carolina said, pressing her lips against each of Pearl’s cheeks. She pinched the fabric of Pearl’s sweater between her fingers. ‘I love this. It’s so vintage.’
‘It’s something Nanny Gretchen would have worn,’ Elyse said, tucking her arm against Carolina’s.
‘Thank you,’ Pearl said, not wanting to reveal she’d taken the clothes from Uncle Greg’s house.
‘Now that we’re all here, everyone sit, sit, sit,’ Elyse trilled, waving her hands around her. ‘Carolina and Ben over here. Harry take Pearl to sit next to you.’
Pearl glanced at Ben, and he looked back at her. A shimmering sensation within her made it hard to go with Harry. But Pearl didn’t want Elyse to put any more attention on her. Her ceremony would be over soon if she could get one of them outside first.
There were a lot of empty chairs, and Pearl wondered why they didn’t have a smaller table.
Two female humans came into the room holding trays. Pearl smelled the food under the metal covers on top.
‘Don’t you two look cozy.’ Carolina flashed her teeth at Harry. ‘I haven’t seen you this close to a girl since Stephanie.’
Harry groaned. ‘That was a year ago. It was a casual thing.’
‘Good riddance. That girl wasn’t good for you,’ Elyse said, reaching for her glass. It was nearly empty. The older of the two human helpers filled it up again without being asked. ‘She was too plain and could barely carry a conversation. How would she have lasted at one of your father’s work events?’
‘Her incessant mumbling wouldn’t have gone over well with the other wives,’ Peter interjected.
‘Good for her for getting away,’ Ben said.
Peter slid a look at his son but said nothing. Elyse carried on talking with Carolina about the Harvest Festival. Ben had mentioned it the day before. From the excitement, it seemed as if it would present the perfect opportunity to pick a human. If she wasn’t already in a house with seven of them.
‘What do you think of the food, Pearl?’ Ben asked her.
‘Good,’ Pearl said. ‘What do you think of the food?’
Ben grinned and she couldn’t help doing the same.
‘How did you come to The Burrow?’ Peter asked.
At least he didn’t ask where she came from. Not yet. Pearl flushed under his penetrating gaze. If anything, his was worse than Elyse’s critical one.
‘I’m traveling around this area,’ Pearl said. ‘I love c-coastal towns.’
‘At this time of year?’ Peter balked. ‘Without a vehicle? Are you some sort of hippie?’
‘Dad,’ Ben said.
‘It’s a simple question,’ Peter said, shrugging. ‘Everyone is so sensitive these days.’
From the way his children looked at him, Pearl wondered if she should take Peter instead of Carolina.
They stared at her as if waiting for her to explain. Even Ben seemed more than interested. If she said nothing, they wouldn’t trust her. She needed to build that trust or else she’d have another missed opportunity. ‘I like to explore unfamiliar places. I’ve graduated from school, and my f-family wanted me to have one look at the world before choosing a job.’ By pulling answers and information from the humans she’d met, she thought she’d created a believable story. It had to be enough to get her through the meal.
‘You’d best not wait too long,’ Peter said. ‘Traveling around the world isn’t going to pay bills.’
‘Here we go,’ Ben muttered.
‘What, Benjamin?’ Peter asked. ‘Working hard and paying for your family to have hot meals is a practical life goal.’
‘It doesn’t have to be everything,’ Ben said.
‘You never complained about it before,’ Peter said, tossing a glance at Pearl. ‘You were close to signing, but now you’ve changed your mind. Do you realize that you need money to survive?’
Ben’s shoulders nearly reached his ears. His hands clenched around his fork and knife. ‘I understand, Dad.’ The last word was spat from his lips.
‘Then I don’t see the problem or why you’re wasting time when you could take everything I’ve worked for, for yourself.’
Ben hung his head. ‘I made my choice.’
‘It’s the wrong one,’ Peter said, shoveling another forkful of food in his mouth.
‘Enough of talking about work,’ Elyse said. ‘Everyone, please eat before this food gets cold.’
Harry leaned closer to Pearl and mumbled, ‘She likes to pretend she cooks.’
The rest of the table was quiet as everyone ate. Ben’s lips pinched together until they disappeared. Pearl no longer had the ache of hunger in her stomach, and it appeared Ben didn’t either.
Elyse continued to force everyone to put a certain amount of food on their plate. Her intention of changing the mood didn’t work so well. Pearl couldn’t focus on anything else. At least not until Harry passed her a platter. Without thinking, she filled her plate enough that some of the items fell onto the table.
‘Pearl has quite the appetite,’ Carolina said, slipping a red fruit into her mouth. Her plate barely had any food on it.
‘What’s wrong with that?’ Ben asked.
Carolina didn’t miss a beat. ‘Just making an obser
vation.’ She shot him a smile before turning her attention to Pearl again. ‘Perhaps you’re stockpiling for when you leave. When are you moving on from here anyway?’
Pearl licked her lips, tasting the sweetness left there. ‘I have three sky light cycles left.’ Though she hoped for less.
Peter laughed again as he cut his pancake in half. ‘I told you. Hippie.’
‘Why do you have to insult someone because they speak differently than you?’ Ben slammed his fork and knife onto the table.
‘I was joking. You’re not offended, are you Pearl?’ Peter asked with a chuckle.
Pearl shook her head, feeling Ben’s eyes on her face.
‘How is it that you wonder why I don’t want to work for you? I already deal with this shit every time I see you,’ Ben said.
‘Language,’ Elyse hissed at the same time as Peter said, ‘That’s enough.’ His voice was low and threatening.
‘You’re right,’ Ben said, tossing his cloth napkin on the table. ‘That is enough. I’m leaving.’
‘You’re overreacting,’ Peter said.
Pearl grasped the edge of the table. Ben couldn’t leave her alone with the rest of them.
‘What about dessert?’ Elyse asked. ‘We have cheesecake, chocolate mousse, and—’
‘Thanks for brunch, Mom.’ Ben shoved his chair away from the table, rose to his feet and then gripped the chair and pushed it under the table. His movements were slow but deliberate. He looked as if he were trying to stay calm, even though he didn’t want to. ‘Are you coming, Pearl?’
Pearl nodded.
‘I’m coming too,’ Harry said.
Pearl went to Ben’s side. As they left the room, another chair moved against the floor. Carolina’s flash of pale hair trailed along behind them.
Chapter 14
‘I was looking forward to that cheesecake,’ Harry said, trudging along next to Pearl. His feet sunk into the sand as much as hers did.
‘Why are you always starting fights with your parents?’ Carolina asked, struggling to keep up with Ben. They put distance between them and the house much sooner than Pearl expected.
The waves crashed along the shore, and she focused on Carolina. Could she take this female in front of the other two? There had to be a way to coax her into the water.
The Sisters' Secrets: Pearl Page 8