Once the three of us had finished with our “lesson,” I waited for Samuel to leave, but he didn’t. Instead, Susan found a reason to excuse herself, saying something about cooking dinner. “Literally,” said Samuel, “a worse Fairy cook does not exist.” “I just need practice,” she said as she walked away. “I suppose you want to know about Holt,” said Samuel. He was walking with his hands in his pockets. He had started to loosen up a bit while I practiced, but now he was stiff as a board again. “Yes,” I said. Something in my heart lifted and I scarcely dared to breathe. “That would be nice.” “He’s at the house. He’s going to be kept there indefinitely. Knowing my mother, it could be a long time. She is enjoying seeing him arrested, and I don’t think she’ll give in easily to any proposal to let him out.” I nodded. I had expected all of that. What I didn’t expect was what he said next. “If you want to see him, you can,” he said, his voice was so quiet that I thought I might not have heard him properly.
