Living Doll Florence (special preview)

I look away and Mournine drops his veil again. “Same boat, Florence, same boat,” he sniffles and stands up, going back to the bookcase where he had been standing before.

I look down at my one hand and then up, seeing there is a window. I stand up, going to the window and looking out. Below, there are statues in the yard. Or, well, places where statues had once stood. There is one lone statue there, covered in morning glory and ivy.

I am so curious to know where I am and what is going on, but the only person I can even talk to is Mournine. I’m afraid that we will not like one another. We have already gotten off to such a horrible start, I feel we will not recover from it.

That evening, Iaso comes into the room again. I look up expectantly, but she goes over to Mournine.

“I did all I could,” she holds up the pocket watch to him.

Mournine gasps and takes the treasure back, clutching it in both palms. “Thank you! I was so missing this.”

“You pick funny things to miss,” Iaso says as she puts her hands on her waist. She then turns to me and I look up expectantly at her. 

“I’ll get to you later,” she says and leaves the room again.

I glare after her and Mournine clicks open his pocket watch. He sighs and his breath sounds broken. It chokes up in his throat and his hands start to shake.

“Is that her?” I ask cautiously.

He looks over at me then back at the lid of the watch. “It is,” he whispers.

“May I?” I stand up and hold out my hand. “I’d like to see her.”

Mournine is hesitant and I don’t blame him, either. He sighs and shakes his head, then he places the pocket watch in my hands. 

The pocket watch is surprisingly thick. I doubt it would fit into any normal pocket. It is lovely, though, bright gold and carved with a rose pattern. I look at the picture in the lid, seeing only a lock of hair.