ge； glimmering tear slid from Kalbiye’s gleaming eye down her cheek；
and at the first opportunity； your good…hearted Esther decided to find Kalbiye
a better husband than the one she’d recently lost。
“My late husband didn’t often share these concerns of his with me；”
Kalbiye said cautiously。 “Based on whatever I could remember and piece
together I’ve concluded that everything happened on account of the
illustrations that took him to Enishte Effendi’s house on his very last night。”
This was some manner of apology。 In response； I reminded her how her fate
and Shekure’s； not to mention their enemies； were the same if one considered
that Enishte Effendi had perhaps been killed by the same “scoundrel。” The two
large…headed fatherless waifs staring at me from the corner suggested another
similarity between the two women。 But my merciless matchmaker’s logic
quickly reminded me that Shekure’s situation was much more beautiful； rich
and mysterious。 I let Kalbiye know exactly what I felt：
“Shekure told me to tell you that if she has wronged you； she’s sorry；” I
said。 “She wants to say that she loves you as a sister and as a woman who
shares her fate。 She wants you to think about this and help her。 When the late
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Elegant Effendi left here on his last night； did he mention he’d be seeing
anyone besides Enishte Effendi？ Did you ever consider that he might’ve been
going to meet somebody else？”
“This was found on his person；” she said。
She removed a folded piece of paper from a lidded wicker box； which
contained embroidery