“Right after I’ve finished A Treatise Upon All Poisons,” Flavia promises. Realistically, she knows she ought to discount, to second-guess, the warm words coming from her sister; it’s been a long and trying afternoon for them both—Feely especially, and even de Luces are prone to sentimentality on rare occasions. More than likely, Feely will be back to hating her in the morning.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about this before,” she whispers, chancing the comment in the truce that seems to have formed for now between them.