Helen sucked in a breath, eyes widening. “Ooh—liberation?That sounds more exciting than just pregnancy talk.”
“It’s probably one of those books everyone reads but no oneadmitsthey’ve read,” Hadria said, eyes glinting.
Dragonfly nodded. “I’ve seen similar ones when the Blue Isle traders come through. My sister had one once. She hid it under her mattress.”
“Does she still have it?” Helen asked, leaning in.
“No. My aunt found it years ago and burned it.”
Hadria frowned. “I guess we could borrow the hospital copy—but you’d have to sign for it. The stewards would know. That’s practically like announcing it to the whole town.”
Helen straightened. “I’ll ask Nic to do it—oh but...” she gave a little frown. “Nic can get River to check it out. He’s a doctor’s apprentice. He can borrow it without signing. It might take a few days, but once Nic passes it to me, the three of us can read it.”
Dragonfly blinked.The three of us?
Her stomach fluttered—part nerves, part curiosity. She had no lover. No pressing reason to learn these things. What would she evendowith the knowledge? But the idea of it... the thrill of knowing, of being included in something secret and important...
Hadria caught her eye and smirked. “You won’t be single forever. You should be prepared. The book will help all of us. I mean, what’s the point of having a beau if we’re too scared to do anything because we don’t know how not to get with child?”
Helen nodded. “My mother never talked about any of this. She shuts down if I evenhintat it.”
Hadria’s voice softened. “I wonder what my mother would have told me. Would she have approved of Aries?”
Helen glared at her teacup. “My parents don’t even pretend to like Nic. They think he’s just using me. He’s not ‘appropriate’ for our status, and they won’t believe I want him for the rest of my life—and that he wants me too.”
Dragonfly sank into the cushions a little.
She didn’t have those complications. No parents pushing expectations, no family name to protect. There was no “suitable match” to live up to. If she fell in love, it would be hers alone to decide.
But even that freedom felt like a kind of distance. Hadria had broken all the rules to be with Aries. Helen was fighting to keep Nic. And she—she was still at the edge of it all. Just watching.
Collin, Aries, and Nic tramped into the house, their voices booming ahead of them. The girls quieted instinctively, like birds sensing a shift in the wind.
“Dinner is served,” Collin announced, grinning as he carried a tray of filleted fish, the edges crisped golden.
“I left your apron on the butcher block,” Nic said, sliding bowls aside to make room for the platter.
Aries disappeared into his room. “I’m going to change my clothes.”
Helen was already at the table. “Everything looks wonderful.”
“Should we eat at the table?” Dragonfly asked, though she already knew the answer.
“We can just each grab a plate and eat around the sitting room,” Hadria said. “Very casual—just as you wished.”
Dragonfly’s plate filled quickly—slices of fish, bright salads, fruit soaking in cream, those tiny goat cheese balls dusted with herbs. She sat back on the rug, barefoot and cross-legged, with her plate balanced carefully in her lap.
The first bite melted on her tongue. The fish was smoky and tender, laced with lemon and fire. The pheasant practically fell off the bone. The rabbit was sweet and charred, the kind of food that lingered in her mouth like summer around a campfire with friends and laughter. The goat cheese was her favorite—tangy and soft, coated in something peppery that made her reach for her cup of cider.
Praise floated through the room—Collin’s name passed around like a blessing, Hadria’s dishes admired, Aries’s game devoured. Laughter came easily, bubbling between bites.
Clive and Niall slipped in just as they were finishing the main meal, bringing a tray of sticky cakes drenched in honey and stuffed with spiced nuts. Dragonfly licked syrup from her fingers and didn’t care if anyone noticed.
The twins didn’t stay long—they had an early morning, and soon ducked back out into the dark.
Not long after, Helen leaned into Nic, whispered something with a little smile, and tugged on his sleeve. He rose without complaint, offered a sweeping bow to the group, and followed her out.
Dragonfly watched them go, her belly full, her heart strangely light. Around her, crumbs and laughter and the warm clink of plates. It wasn’t a grand occasion—but it was hers.
