The car pulled up to the manor. The drive home had been quiet. Billy stared out the window, his new school bag on his lap.
"You okay?" I asked him.
He nodded, but didn't look at me. "That lady was mean."
"She's just sad, baby," I said, the lie feeling thin in the air.
He didn't answer. Leo glanced at me from the front seat but said nothing.
When we got inside, the quiet of the big house felt heavy. Billy dropped his bag by the door.
"I'm going to my room," he mumbled, and walked off before I could say anything else. My heart ached watching him go.
I walked into the kitchen. Clara was there, chopping vegetables on a big wooden board. She was assisting with house-work since our butler got sick. She looked up and her smile faded.
"Who died?" she asked. Then she winced. "Sorry. Bad joke. You look like you've seen a ghost, Ri."
I leaned against the counter, feeling tired. "Just a long day at the school."
"Uh huh." She put the knife down. "And the sky is green. Spill it."
