Chapter 1: The Silent Laughter
THE LAUGHTER BEHIND THE DOOR
Sophia had not spoken in seven years, and that day she was laughing.
The bedroom was bright and warm.
Sunlight streamed through the tall window onto the pale carpet and the white bedding.
The door remained half open onto a bright hallway.
Nothing in the room had any lettering on it.
Sophia sat cross-legged on the carpet.
She was around nineteen, slim, with dark hair resting over her shoulders, in soft pink loungewear.
Her face was open with a laughter that made no sound, and her shoulders shook a little.
Her hands moved quickly and lightly, shaping words in the air.
Opposite her sat Ruby Brennan, twenty-five, in a black-and-white uniform and a white apron, her hair neatly tied back.
She was smiling, and her hands answered Sophia's.
The light in the doorway shifted.
Santiago stood at the threshold of the half-open door.
He was thirty-eight, square-jawed, in a black shirt, and his face was stern.
His eyes settled on the two women on the carpet.
His voice was low.
"Who are you?"
The smile slowly faded from Sophia's face.
Her hands sank back into her lap.
Ruby stood and turned to the door.
Her face was calm, with some caution in it.
"I'm the new maid, sir."
Santiago stepped into the room and stopped in front of her.
He leaned slightly toward her and did not touch her.
His eyes were sharp.
"What were you doing with my sister?"
Ruby lifted her eyes to his.
Her voice was even.
"Talking to her."
Santiago's gaze shifted to his sister on the carpet.
She was looking up at him, and her eyes were full of unease.
Her hands lay still against her knees.
When he spoke again, his voice had slowed.
"She understands you?"
Ruby turned her head, and her lips parted.
"She..."
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How will Santiago react when Ruby finishes—and why was Sophia laughing with her?
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