Collapsed: Book One of The Illusion of Truth, page 11
I glance at Ellie. She seems unfazed.
“Civil unrest escalated until the Cobalts led the initial large-scale attack,” the male narrator says. This is different from what Papa told me once.
The man drones on for at least ten more minutes about how the war continued for several years before the Scarlets defeated the Cobalts. “When it finally ended, many of the Cobalts were put to death for war crimes, but others negotiated for them and their families to be relocated to prisons called the Tenements.”
“Prisons?” Ellie flips her attention to me, and her innocent eyes grow large. “So the Cobalts are criminals?”
Much of what I’m hearing for the first time is new to me too, but from the stories passed on in the Tenement, there were no negotiations at the end of the Second Civil War. Because of progressive Scarlet backlash against branding every Cobalt and their families as war criminals and executing them all, the Tenements were built by way of appeasement. Make a place where Cobalt ideas could be boxed up and hidden away. Plus we provided a low-cost workforce.
“Um . . . no.” I keep my voice quiet as if someone else might be listening. “We’re just people . . . like you and your family are.”
Ellie’s eyes relax and gently she takes my hand. “Good, because I like you very much and want you to stay for a long time.” She pauses in thought for a moment, then whispers. “And I don’t want Mother to find out you’re a criminal and send you away.”
A sad chuckle escapes my lips. “I think your mother knows everything in these books about Cobalts and everything there is to know about me.”
Not really wanting to, but also not wanting to procrastinate on the lesson, I tap the video so it can finish playing while I eat the rest of my lunch. When it’s done, I just allow the tech to read the chapter and ask Ellie the questions at the end. For today I’ve had enough of the Scarlet view of history and how Cobalts are treated so well and live in generous accommodations provided at the expense of Scarlet taxpayers.
As she almost always does, she receives high marks on her lesson when she completes the test at the end.
She leans back in the chair and crosses her arms over her chest. “What do you want to do next?”
I check the time and then peer out Ellie’s large bedroom window. “We have another hour. Why don’t we finish up The Lady’s Role lesson in the rose garden?”
Ellie sticks out her tongue and makes a raspberry sound. “What about finishing the lifecycle of butterflies instead?”
Tempting, although we must make sure to keep up on Ellie’s requirements.
“Not today, but come on,” I encourage. “It could be worse, and you know how much I love the garden. Maybe we’ll see a butterfly.” I bat my eyelashes at her and smile.
Last week Isaiah, on what I believe were Dr. Pierce’s orders, had a stone table and benches installed right beside the roses. It’s nice because the view to the house is partially obstructed, making it hard for Mrs. Pierce to completely spy on us while we’re working. Not that I’m breaking any more rules like allowing Ellie to take off her shoes and run around.
She breaks into a childish giggle at my coaxing. “Let’s go.”
We tidy up a bit so Mrs. Pierce and the work staff can’t complain that I allow Ellie to leave her room a shambles, then make our way down to the garden.
Smiling, I inhale the fresh air. I’m not sure I’ll ever get over how amazing it is.
We plunk down at the table, and Ellie opens her Red Ladies workbook.
“Now where were we last time?” I tap the screen of my Flexx and bring up the curriculum, when from behind a tree that partially blocks the view of the house, I spot a courier speaking to Isaiah just outside the staff entrance.
His back is turned, but my heart skips at the sight of him. Quickly, I shake my head and decide I’m imagining things and return to the words on my Flexx. But my eyes draw back when he turns, and Isaiah is pointing him this way.
Kalib.
I gasp.
“What’s wrong?” Ellie asks, obviously concerned from her drawn brows.
“I . . . I know him.” My mind swirls with a soup of confusing thoughts. How can Kalib be at the Pierce’s? Does he know that I’m here? He must since he’s walking this way. I want more than anything to see my best friend, but life here is complicated. I’m already taking enough risks as it is just connecting with Ellie as a friend and mentor . . . then there are the science lessons. Anything else could put too many eyes on me. I still don’t understand how Kalib even passed the CPW exam. Did he cheat in some way? If that’s the case, I cannot be associated with him. I wring my now-sweating hands together under the table.
“How do you know him?” Ellie’s voice grows more excited. “From the Tenement? Is he a Cobalt?”
Kalib is wearing a uniform similar to mine. Blue with blue piping. The style must be standard for all in the CPW.
“He’s part of the Workforce,” I manage to get out.
Ellie squeals in delight. “Now I can say I know two Cobalts!”
I whip my attention from Kalib to Ellie. “You might not want to mention that to anyone.”
“Why?” she asks.
I gulp down my nervousness. “Because not all people seem to enjoy the company of Cobalts as much as you do.” My eyes draw to her workbook. “It’s not very ladylike in polite conversation to bring up Cobalts.”
Her shoulders slump, but she gives a slow nod. That sank in.
When Kalib is about ten feet from us, I stand and give him a little wave. His lips stretch into a small smile, but his eyes draw to Ellie.
“Kalib,” I call.
“Tenly.”
“I’m going to go talk to him for a minute,” I say to Ellie.
“But I want to meet him.” She pouts.
A smile makes it to Kalib’s eyes at her announcement, and without hesitation he steps forward, stands to attention and does a full bow at the waist. “My name is Kalib. What’s yours, m’lady?”
Ellie breaks into a full round of giggles and I roll my eyes. Kalib has not changed since we arrived in Carmine. I flash a glance to the house, but it doesn’t appear anyone knows about Kalib’s arrival but Isaiah.
“Ellie . . . Ellie Pierce. How do you know Tenly?”
Kalib waves his hand dismissively. “Oh, Tenly and I go way back. We’ve known each other since we were at least your age. I used to sneak onto her balcony at night.”
Ellie’s eyes grow as wide as saucers.
“But only to say hello,” I clarify. “Kalib and I have been friends for a very long time.”
Ellie claps her hands together. “And now you’ve found each other again. I don’t have to be your only friend here!”
I give Kalib the eye. “Yes. Now Kalib and I are going to have a short talk, then we need to resume our lesson.”
She wrinkles her nose but returns to her studies. I wave my friend a little further out of view of the house.
“What are you doing here?” I ask.
Kalib raises a brow. “Seriously? That’s your first question? No . . . hey, how are you doing . . . how was your birthday . . . did you get cake? . . . it’s been weeks since I’ve seen you. You know . . . that kind of thing.”
Kalib’s birthday. I’d forgotten.
I scoff. “I wasn’t sure I’d ever see you again.”
“Was that what you hoped?” Hurt peppers his tone. “It kind of seemed like that on the bus.”
Kalib and I left on bad terms, and it’s not really how I wanted it to be. I can’t let it happen again.
“No. It’s just what I expected.” I give him a once-over. “You look good. Is everything going okay?”
“Yeah. I was assigned as a courier and errand boy for a family across the way . . . Mr. Robinson heads up the CPW program.”
“Really?” I tip my head in interest.
“In fact, I’m here because I have something for you from them.” He opens the flap on his messenger bag and rifles around inside. After a few seconds he pulls out an envelope and hands it to me.
My heart thuds against my rib cage upon seeing my name scrawled across the front . . . in Mama’s handwriting.
Chapter 15
We’re so proud of you.
The words in the letter from Mama and Papa swirl in my mind as I help load Ellie into the car. I miss my parents. There. I really admitted it to myself. I’m not sure that I quite knew how much until Kalib handed me that letter. I miss Kalib, too . . . how he came down and visited me pretty much daily back in the Tenement.
I guess there’s some comfort in knowing that he’s here in town, but it also makes me a bit nervous.
“Do we have to do this?” Ellie complains as she squirms around in the car’s back seat and brings me from my thoughts.
“Shh,” I hush her. “Your mother will be out in a moment, and we want to show her how much of a lady you can be, right?”
Isaiah leans against the side of the car, which is pulled around to the front of the house, and chuckles lightly at our exchange.
As I thought from the start, Isaiah has been a good ally. He’s ordered the staff to stay away from me. So if I keep away from them, I should be fine.
I also regularly get my meals and have my uniforms cleaned and pressed, and as far as I can tell, Isaiah mentioned nothing to anyone else about Kalib’s visit or that he delivered my letter.
Maybe Kalib’s being at the house wasn’t that big of a deal. But it’s nice that Isaiah seems trustworthy even if it’s likely that he just wants to keep peace in the Pierce household and not bother Madam with frivolous things like a postal delivery.
“But you know that I don’t need a new dress,” Ellie whines. “I have loads of them in my closet.”
I sigh. “Ladies don’t whine. If I don’t get to whine, then neither do you.” I raise one brow at her in mock scolding.
Ellie gives me a wide smile and nods.
“You have a gala coming up, and we both know from your lessons that a new dress is required for these kinds of special events.” The words are parroted, and I fully know it. I couldn’t care less if Ellie had a new dress. A few days ago, out of curiosity I had a peek in her closet, and there are exactly sixty-eight dresses hanging up inside that look brand-new. And they are all her current size.
Why anyone would need sixty-eight dresses is beyond me.
Today we are headed to the Voclain Boutique for a fitting with Mr. Voclain himself. He’s recently begun a new child’s line, and Mrs. Pierce wanted to be first on the list.
It’s also an opportunity for her to show me off socially. “Show off” is probably the wrong term for it since no Scarlet wants a Cobalt living under their roof, but it’s in her best interest to publicly display that the Pierces are happily completing their civic duty and prove that Cobalts are being treated well.
Overall I have felt as if I’m being treated well, but I’m not sure how I feel about being some sort of example. Especially since my treatment here has little to do with how Cobalts live and are handled back in the Tenement. But I have no choice in the matter, so for today I might as well make the best of it and help Ellie have a good time.
That’s really what I’m here for anyway.
Finally, Madam makes her grand entrance from the front of the house, clad in the very burgundy dress with gold embroidery that I know for a fact Kalib’s sister Kayla made. As always, her blonde hair is fashioned into a seemingly impossible updo, and this time she wears a large pair of round sunglasses that give her a very bug-like appearance. Over her shoulder is a luxe handbag, which she clutches as if her life depends on it.
Just before the door can shut, it swings open again and out comes Jax, dressed in a much more casual T-shirt and jeans.
“Mother,” he calls.
She pauses and turns to him. Jax hurries to her and they proceed to have a conversation that I can’t hear. But if Mrs. Pierce’s newly soured expression tells me anything, she doesn’t seem to enjoy the topic.
I make my way around to the other side of the car and reach for the handle when they seem to finish their discussion. With a smile, Jax walks to the car with his mother.
“My son is in need of a ride into the city,” Mrs. Pierce says to Isaiah.
Jax is coming? Why? He always seems able to find his own transportation to the university or other places. I’ve seen him be picked up from the front of the house multiple times.
“Yes, Madam.” Isaiah hurries to open the front passenger door for her. She trains her attention on me before she enters, but I can’t quite see her expression from behind the dark glasses.
Does she want me to stay behind?
But she says nothing and enters through the open passenger door. She’s not sitting in the back with us. Jax rounds the front of the vehicle and opens Ellie’s side door.
“Scoot over,” he says as I settle in the back seat behind Mrs. Pierce.
Ellie does as she’s told without objection. I’m sure that she has plenty of complaints rolling around in her mind, but doesn’t often voice them around her mother. And this time is no different. It’s one of the reasons I think she likes having me around. The child can speak her mind without fear of getting in trouble.
When we are all loaded, I glance at Jax. He shoots me a smile, and one of those tingling sensations travels down my spine again. I turn my attention away from him as I spot Isaiah looking at us in the rearview mirror.
I haven’t met Jax on the roof after bedtime since that night a few weeks ago. Not that the urge wasn’t there; seeing the stars and planets with his telescope was an experience I won’t forget. Getting over the fact that he pays me some attention is a little difficult to forget, but it’s in my best interest to stay away from him.
I’m not oblivious to the reality that he has little to lose by defying his mother, but I have a lot. In the past, I had no trouble keeping cute boys at bay. Kalib could have gotten between me and my dreams, and I can’t let Jax do the same . . . no matter how he makes me feel.
All the way to the city I keep my attention trained on the sights outside the car window. Not that anyone inside does that much talking anyway. Mrs. Pierce blathers on for a few minutes about how lucky they were to get a private appointment with Mr. Voclain. Of course, I barely care about the man who takes credit for designs that he has little or nothing to do with.
We finally arrive downtown, and Isaiah pulls the car up directly in front of the shop. A garish sign is plastered above the entrance, basically screaming that the store is here.
Isaiah opens the door for Mrs. Pierce while Jax and I let ourselves out. Jax moves around to the sidewalk, thanks his mother for the ride, and disappears down the street of high-class-looking pedestrians.
Flanking the double doors are two large windows with holographic models displaying various over-the-top outfits. The models strut across the space and turn, and when they do a new fashion creation appears like magic. The whole display is hard to avoid even if I don’t care much for the store’s wares.
Apparently without a thought, Ellie scrambles from the car, runs to the window, and slams her hands up to the glass to get a better view.
“Eleanor!” Mrs. Pierce mutters under her breath, as to not make a scene. She brings her attention to me, and from Madam’s stiff body language I understand immediately what I need to do.
As quickly as I can without running, I hurry to Ellie and grab her left hand. “Now, we must act in an appropriate manner.”
Ellie keeps my grasp and turns to her mother. “I apologize.”
Mrs. Pierce’s lips form what is likely a fake smile. She removes her glasses and places them into her handbag. “We’re all just excited.”
I scan around the street to see if anyone is viewing the scene that Ellie might have just made, but all in all, anyone else in earshot seems to be more concerned about themselves than us.
Before anything else can come from Mrs. Pierce’s mouth, a man with spiked blue hair and a short beard flings open the doors and spreads his arms wide to Madam.
“Mariell!” The man that I assume is Mr. Voclain walks to Mrs. Pierce and kisses her on the cheek. “How lovely you are.” The garish, paunchy man holds her hand in the air and steps back to study her. “This design is one of my favorites.” Then he leans closer to her as if he’s going to whisper but instead says loudly enough for everyone to hear, “If you must know, I stayed late into the evening applying the rose detailing in just such a way.”
My stomach roils at his words. He did no such thing. The man is flat out lying.
But Mrs. Pierce grins like a schoolgirl as Mr. Voclain wavers his attention around her.
“Gavin isn’t joining us for this special occasion today?”
Gavin and Mariell. I realize just now that I didn’t know my employers’ first names before this moment.
She laughs and reaches her hand out to beckon Ellie. “Oh, he’s too busy working. But of course he’s proud to have Eleanor take part in the upcoming gala, so he’s looking forward to seeing her gown.”
Reluctantly Ellie releases my hand and walks to her mother’s side. The child diligently smiles.
“Well, then,” Mr. Voclain says. “We must get inside.” He eyes me.
“Our new governess, Miss Hawkins, is a representative of the Cobalt Premier Workforce,” Mrs. Pierce quickly adds. “Gavin thought it best if we extended Scarlet hospitality, and the olive leaf, so to speak, through taking part in the program.”
Mr. Voclain studies me and gives me a little pout. “The poor thing . . . so lucky to be here . . . so lucky.” Then as if the thought mostly vanishes, he claps his hands together a little too loudly. “You are a family of saints. Come inside and let’s get started.”
I glance at Isaiah, unsure of what to do next. He eyes Madam and Ellie as they follow Mr. Voclain into the shop.
“Just stay out of the way and attend to Miss Eleanor as need be,” Isaiah instructs.
I nod and follow the others inside, keeping my chin down.
Once inside, the events are like a whirlwind. Multiple fancy attendants are assisting Mr. Voclain as he brings out an entire rack of child-sized gowns. Mrs. Pierce stands watching the scene with glee as another attendant brings her a steaming coffee drink to enjoy while she waits. Voclain takes Ellie by the hand, leads her up to the mirror, and proceeds to present a blur of gowns as Mrs. Pierce makes different expressions to indicate her approval or lack thereof.
