Ottaline plunged the jar into the lake then held the murky contents up to the sun. She then emptied it out and continued the search.

Providence swatted at a bug as she wove grasses into a crown where she sat. Shielding her eyes she watched Ottaline turn in circles in the water. "Maybe it's too hot for them," she said.

Ottaline emptied the jar back into the lake and made her way to the shore. Putting it back in the tackle box she wiped her forehead. "Maybe. We could try around the old oak. It's always shady."

Providence agreed and got to her feet. Picking up the tackle box she followed Ottaline around the lake. The Wild Wood surrounded them on all sides made up of oaks and pines. Here the smell of the sea was strong as it was carried in through the woods over the rocky Carolina shore.

The old oak was familiar to all the children of Drinking Water. Some boys had even tied a rope on one of its branches so they could swing out far into the lake. The oak grew around a large boulder that sat halfway in the lake. Sometimes the children told stories that it was the gateway to terrible things.

Ottaline dropped one of her stockings as they came upon the boulder. Providence stopped to wait for her and as she was picking it up a shot rang out sending them both ducking into the shrubs.

"What was that?" Providence asked.

"Shhh," Ottaline warned. Slowly she poked her head up only to hear another shot followed quickly by a splash. "Sound like someone is shooting." Getting down on her hands and knees she crawled out from their hiding spot up to the bolder. Slowly she stood and peeked around it out to the lake.

Providence waited for her to come running back but Ottaline crouched down and stared in the direction of the lake. Giving up waiting, Providence crawled out of the grass joining her behind the bolder. When another shot rang out she flattened herself against the tree roots.

"Rovy, you have to see this," Ottaline said.

"If I see it, it might be the last thing I see," Providence said from her hiding place. "What is it?"

Ottaline looked down at her and shook her head. "It's nothing to be afraid of, come look."

Providence sucked her teeth and got to her feet. Slowly she poked her head around the raised roots encompassing the bolder. Down below the rising bank, beyond the pond weed, at the edge of the shallows stood a shirtless man. He twirled his pistol in his hand, took aim and fired.

Providence shook her head. "What short of madness..."

"That's Master Jude," Ottaline said crouching down a little lower. "I knew he was mad."

"Obviously," Providence said, "Anyone who swims in their Sunday best can't be sane."

Ottaline chuckled. "With all the money that family has I don't think clothes are a problem." She stepped forward and Providence grabbed the hem of her dress.

"What are you doing?"

"Do you see his skin, Rovy?" Ottaline said. "It's just like Ally said, tattoos all over. I want to get a closer look."

"He might shoot you."

"Why would he shoot a little girl?" Ottaline said grinning big and making Providence pout. "I just want to get a little closer. You can stay up here if you want."

"This is not one of your detective games is it?" Providence said and Ottaline grinned. "Spying on the Sacks last winter nearly got us both eaten by dogs—" Providence suddenly found Ottaline's hand over her mouth.

"Shhh, someone is coming."

Providence was about to object when she heard a crunch. Soon Esau Richmond came up the path in the opposite direction. The girls prepared to flee but he turned off the path and walked down the bank to the lake.

"Jude." He shook his head at his brother. "What are you doing?"

Jude grinned up at him. "Practice," he said spinning the gun and firing.

The blast made Esau jump but he quickly took himself in hand. "You shouldn't be firing that gun like that you might hit a child. Not that it would faze you much. And get your shirt out of the dirt."

Jude stuck his pistol in his pants and waded to the shore. "Can't a man have some peace around here?" he said as she shrugged on his shirt. His wet skin quickly bled through as he fastened the buttons.

"When will you learn to be responsible?" Esau asked as Jude put on his shoes.

"You sound like Ishmael," Jude said. "If things don't go perfect he loses his head." He tugged on his shoes then stood. "I came out here to get away from you for a spell."

"Well things aren't going well," Esau said. "And if you weren't fooling around out here you would know that."

"Your wife having one of her conniptions again?"

"No," Esau said angrily. "I got another one of those letters."

Jude tossed his head, sending water droplets flying from his hair. "What did it say?"

"The same," Esau said. "They know what happened."

"Well it looks like it's time for me to head north again." Jude said with a grin.

"No you don't!" Esau said grabbing his brother's arm. "I blame you for this, Jude, you and your involvement with that stupid brotherhood. That's why we are in this mess now. You've heaped a debt on our heads I am not willing to pay."

Jude yanked his arm free. "I don't think those letters and my debt are related. The brotherhood does not waste time with letters. Besides I've been making sure they get what they want." He stood. "And don't worry I'm making sure you get away clean this time." he laughed.

Esau's face suddenly paled as he looked into his brother's mismatched eyes. "Jude...you didn't."

"Would you rather I pay them off with our own fortune? The dead can't testify."

"And where have you been keeping these things?"

"I convinced Mr. Sabbath to help me."

Esau's face turned red. "You brought the butler into this? What if he reports you as a thief?"

Jude laughed. "It takes one to know one." He slapped his brother on the back then lit a cigarette. "Esau," He said when the red headed man still looked worried. "Have faith in Hodgepodge, I'll pay off the brotherhood then I'll have them go after whoever has been sending those letters. We win, just like always."

Their voices faded and Ottaline poked her head up then stood. "They've gone."

Providence struggled to her feet. "That man..." she said. "He called Daddy a thief, did you hear him, Ottaline."

"I heard him."

"Well?"

"I don't believe him," Ottaline said picking up her jars. "Our father is no thief he's a hard working Christian man just like the rest of them."

Providence nodded her head. She had always trusted her sister's judgment and didn't expect it to fail her now.

/

The sun shone brightly the next day and Ottaline sat with Providence by the narcissus pond beneath a tall shade tree with a pencil in hand and a notebook in her lap. "You'll need to work a little more on you Ns," she said as she went over her sister's penmanship. "You start them from the top, try starting them from the bottom."

Providence sighed and took the notebook back. "Sometimes I wish Daddy had named me something without so many letters."

"You have a good name, Rovy," Ottaline said. "No one teases you for it and it has a good meaning."

"Our last gets teasing."

"Well the both of us share that." Ottaline leaned back into the grass, disappearing in the yellow and orange flowers. She looked through them up into the blue sky tasting the mingle of ocean and mountain air.

"Up here on this mountain, I feel I'm caught between—" she sang. "The two gates of heaven that swing in the celestial breeze." She smiled. "You now, Rovy."

Providence grumbled. "I need to practice my hand."

"Just take a break for a moment and sing with me."

Providence sighed. "Out here deep in the flowers I feel I'm ever near, to God's awesome powers that keep away my fears."

"So keep cheer, my dear, I whisper in your ear let's stay here stay here stay here." Ottaline finished and rolled over onto her side with her face close to the flower roots. She could hear the dragonflies buzzing and the occasional splash in the pond.

"Why do you sing that song, Ottaline?"

Ottaline sat up with dead grass in her hair. "It's the only way to have her near," she said.

Providence shook her head. "The dead can't be made alive by signing."

"No," Ottaline said. "But that doesn't mean we can't keep their memories."

Providence sighed. "I know she giving birth to me, is that a good memory to keep alive?"

"For the record I don't remember much either," Ottaline said. "I only remember the songs she sang me and her voice. Even when I dream of her I only hear her voice."

"Still, that is better than nothing at all." She picked up her notebook and quickly wrote a series of Ns. "See if these are any better."

A jostling sound on the dirt road distracted both of them and they turned to see the Kennedy boys cycling up the road.

"Get down!" Ottaline said pulling her sister into the grass. They slowly peeked their heads up as the boys dismounted from their bikes.

"We saw you out there, Ottaline," the eldest said. "You better get out here before I have to drag you out!"

"Don't go," Providence told her sister but Ottaline got to her feet.

"There she is!" the second boy said.

"We're not on your territory, Craig Kennedy," Ottaline said.

Craig marched across the grass crushing the daffodils. "Still, I don't like the sight of you and your cripple up here," he sneered. "I guess my brothers and I will just have to teach you and her a lesson." The other two boys laughed.

Ottaline grabbed her sister's arm. "You lay one hand on my sister and I'll be telling your uncle."

Craig smirked at his brothers then shoved Ottaline into the flowers. "My uncle doesn't have time to listen to you."

Ottaline took a deep breath and got back to her feet. "We're not bothering you so why are you bothering us? We're just practicing our hand and minding our own business."

Craig scoffed and shoved her again.

Ottaline fell to the ground striking her elbow on a rock. She watched as Craig next went over to Providence and shoved her the same way. Unable to control herself any longer she jumped up and pushed him as hard as she could. He went down with a loud splash into the pond and his brothers scrambled to help him.

"Come on, Rovy!" Ottaline said grabbing their things up. She grabbed her sister by the wrist and they quickly retreated through the trees before the boys could catch up to them. When they reached Drain Avenue Providence twisted free.

"I can't run anymore!" She stopped and leaned against a picket fence and rubbed around her brace. "Do you see them?"

Ottaline looked towards the woods and up the lane. "I don't think they'll come after us," she panted. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Providence said. "What about you?"

"I hurt my elbow but I'll be fine," Ottaline was about to suggest they get on home when soft music reached her ears. "Do you hear that, Rovy?"

Providence fixed her dress skirt and straitened up. "That's the gramophone from Mrs. DuPont's dance studio," she said.

Ottaline looked across the street at the blue building surrounded by a white picket fence draped in enticing confederate jasmine. "I didn't know they had practice today. Come on." She took her sister by the hand and they hurried across the street. Entering the opened gate they crept up the bushes and peered into the window.

The dancers circled the room en pointe dressed all in white with their hair arranged perfectly on their heads as they danced to Felix Mendelssohn's Italian Symphony.

"Have you ever seen anything more perfect?" Ottaline said to her sister as they watched them dance.

Providence smiled but touched her brace self-consciously.

Ottaline turned to her sister beaming and took her by the hands. "Come on, we can do that!" Providence balked but Ottaline pulled her out into the yard onto the stone steps that made up the walkway. She spun her in and out, back to back and forward. They moved in time to the music together in perfect harmony. Soon Providence was laughing with her sister as they pirouetted into the street.