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consolation.”
    It wasn’t, but Paloma loved her sister-in-law. She settled into bed with a sigh. With a yawn, Luisa joined her.
    Luisa laughed. “Funny how no one wants to share a room with your odious cousin. Did you see how fast the Borrego twins and their sister Refugio insisted that they enjoyed sleeping three to a bed?”
    Paloma had noticed. She also noticed how the light went out of her cousin’s eyes when everyone paired off and left her all by herself in a room for two. Anyone would acknowledge that the woman only got what she deserved, tit for tat, but Paloma couldn’t help—and barely understood—her own sympathy. “She is not a happy woman.”
    Maybe this was a good time to ask Luisa about the afternoon’s treatment of her cousin. “Everyone ignored her. Some even laughed behind their hands. What is it that amuses everyone about my cousin?”
    Luisa stared at her. “You don’t know? You, of all people?”
    â€œ Me, of all people, I suppose,” Paloma replied, puzzled. “What did she do?”
    Luisa looked around as though the room were full of scribes taking notes, and whispered the tale of how Maria Teresa Castellano had evacuated her bowels right on her own doorstep last year when Marco and her husband Alonso brought the news that Comanches had been killing their cattle.
    Paloma sat up in bed and stared at her sister-in-law through the gloom. “I never heard a word of this from Marco!” She sank down in bed, remembering the incident of the cattle. “But … but … only a few days later, Alonso’s own herder confessed to the deed. It wasn’t Comanches.”
    â€œ No, indeed, but the damage was done.” Luisa giggled, then turned her face into the coverlet. “So Marco never said a word?”
    â€œ You know my husband—your brother—is too much of a gentleman to mention such a thing.” She thought a moment. “The servants!”
    Luisa nodded. “The word spread from the housekeeper, who delegated two servants to clean up Maria’s mess.” She counted on her fingers. “Up and down Valle del Sol it went, everywhere but the Double Cross, I gather.”
    Paloma slowly let out her breath. “I was so afraid of Maria Teresa when I came here, but I knew that at some point she would muddy her nest.” She laughed into her sister-in-law’s shoulder. “Never did I think she would do it literally!”
    They chatted a few more minutes in companionable conversation until the sentences stretched farther and farther apart and then stopped. I miss you, Marco , Paloma thought as she closed her eyes, but think of all the socks .

    She woke as the room was beginning to lighten, startled to see Luisa dressed and bending over her. There was an unreadable expression on her face that had Paloma reaching for her dress as she threw back the coverlet in one quick motion.
    â€œ Luisa, what—”
    â€œ The guard sent an alarm to my housekeeper. Hurry.”
    Even in the low light of dawn, there was no mistaking Luisa’s pallor. Paloma yanked on her dress. Barefoot, she let Luisa Gutierrez drag her down the corridor and out the front door. Paloma shivered, but noticed that Luisa had not bothered with her cloak, either. Luisa ran to the wall and scrambled up the ladder, Paloma close behind her, every nerve on edge.
    The guard pointed over the parapet and Luisa nodded, her eyes serious. She gestured to Paloma, who saw her fears and knew she was thinking of other desperate days.
    â€œ Mira! Is it your Comanche? Tell me quickly or my guard will shoot him.”
    Paloma squinted into the distance. “Don’t shoot,” she said. “I cannot tell yet, but it might be. Please don’t shoot.”
    â€œ He’s too close. I’m shooting him,” the guard said and raised his musket.
    Paloma shoved him and the gun discharged in the air over her shoulder.