NELLIE

"I don't understand why I am on this trip at all." Nellie Ollson said to her father petulantly. "Crippled people just make me queasy, Father." Nellie tried not to roll her eyes when Nels had that pained look. Oh, how he wished she was a mealy-mouthed fool like Mary Ingalls. Well, we see where that got you. Groping and mumbling around in a state institution.

"Nellie, I told you. If you want to benefit from the new customs and dresses in Godey's Lady's Book, you'll have to do some work for me. You'll have to model some dresses for the young ladies of the Blind School.

Nellie tried not to laugh contemptuously. Would she be parading back and forth as the sightless idiots poked and prodded at her? Still, the light blue grenadine dress with the flounces made her mouth water. Eight dollars and Nellie wanted it. Badly.

As Nellie alighted the carriage in front of the school, she looked past the gate, watching the brats amble about with their sticks in the front yard. Oh, what an ugly little boy. Blessing he can't see himself in the mirror.

RECKNESS

Reckness Cardew felt himself being roughly shaken. "Wake up, class is over."

Ugh. Kendall, get your hands off me. "Oh, I'm sorry, I must've…" Reckness turned his head in the direction of Adam's voice. Braying. Now comes the lecture. Oh, why can't I go back to New York?

"Reckness, I don't conduct sessions here so you can doze off." Adam said crisply. "You're an older boy, and thus an example—"

"I'm a MAN." Reckness said irritably. "I'm probably not more than eight months younger than you are." Ye gods. The pater had to find a way to bribe Perkins to take Reckness back, he'd never had anything like this old sober sides to experience at the other school. He…

What was that—that smell? Was that L'Heure Bleue? Good God, I haven't smelled French perfume since leaving 59th Street. Damn it, Kendall,shut up. Stop distracting me. My God, the man brays like a rabid jackdaw. Crow, crow…

Reckness wondered if he could slide out of his seat while Adam Kendall continued recriminating the sins, and find out what exotic creature was wearing that toilet water.

"And I just wonder with your lack of responsibility about visiting other student's rooms at night whether you belong—"

There were steps into the room. The scent of L'Heure Bleue deepened. An older man's whining voice came from the doorway. "Nellie, we have an apppointment with the Director…"

"Hi!" Loud, grating voice. "I'm Nellie." The steps came closer. "I didn't know there were gentlemen here. Are you teachers?"

I would munch arsenic first, thought Reckness. But he stood up as Adam began introductions. Reckness smiled, and felt a smooth, small hand in his.

MARY

Mary Ingalls sat in the side garden, in animated conversation with Mr. Ollson. He was such a good, gentle man, and he always made her laugh.

"So Willie is shaving, but not really growing a beard?" She tried to picture this.

"Well, I went through the same thing when I was fourteen." Nels Ollson's voice continued. "But what I'm pleased more about, is that Willie is—he doesn't seem as selfish as he once did. And he's taking an interest in the mercantile, which is good. Beyond the candy behind the counter."

There was a pause. "Your Pa even commented about how Willie is growing up, and perhaps Laura won't have to thrash him anymore." They both laughed.

"Nellie-Nellie's here with you, Mr. Ollson?" Not that Mary didn't miss old friends…

"Yes. Nellie is going to show the Dean of Girls the different frocks that are available. I understand it's difficult for the young ladies to go to stores to uh, look around—I didn't mean—"

"No, of course." Mary paused. "But you know, a little discomfort, learning to shop, even with our affliction, makes us more independent citizens I think. Still, it will be nice to have clothing displays here. I know that blind girls are just girls, and they love feeling the flounces and fabrics. Where is Nellie now?"

"One of the young men, a Mr. Cardew, offered to assist her in finding a dressmaker's dummy in the attic. I thought it was very kind of a blind student to do such a thing."

Mary Ingalls said nothing, but a cold hand seemed to claw its fingers around her heart.

MARJORIE BLUNDELL

Marjorie felt her way up the stairs, breathing heavily through her nose. Recki was waiting, perhaps. It was that time in the afternoon. Marjorie would be missed from Domestic Science, but no one seemed to notice her whereabouts much. When she was there, Miss Hoskins just told Marjorie how clumsy she was with a needle, how her rows were not neat enough, not like Clara Desmond or Mary Ingalls, who had only been blind AND at the school for a fraction of the time Marjorie had.

Marjorie hated Mary Ingalls. She hated Clara Desmond. Marjorie had asked God to forgive her bad thoughts, but God didn't seem to care. Reverend Lowther had told Pa and Ma that God was testing their faith, by giving them a burden like Marjorie. Dumb, club footed and blind. "He chooses special people for these challenges."

Marjorie's Pa had laughed at this and given Marjorie a taste of the strop when they'd gotten home, and Marjorie didn't even visit home for Christmas no more.

But Reckness…Recki loved Marjorie. Recki told Marjorie that he would marry her and bring her back to New York, if she liked, but they must keep their engagement a secret.

Recki had even given Marjorie a family heirloom, but Alice, the girl in the next bed, claimed it was nothing but an old doorknob. Alice had a little sight, but was a jealous cat, like so many of the girls.

As Marjorie approached the attic, she felt for the door, but it was locked. She heard bumping from inside.

"You have such beautiful copper curls, Reckness"

What did copper mean? Who was in the attic? Recki?