Mr. Collins was just as handsome now as he'd been at the February party; Sera wished that she looked better in this moment, but she supposed that it couldn't be helped. She held out her right hand to offer Mr. Collins, so that he could see the deep purple spreading from where the doxy had sank its teeth into her thumb's flesh.

"About thirty minutes," Sera said, "I have this thing where I come here quickly if my skin starts changing colors."