My insides shriveled in embarrassment, and the back of my neck heated.Maybe that had been a little much.
The deathly silence continued until finally, Edward snickered. “And you all thought her dessert was dangerous.”
Cynthia’s lips twitched.
Harold dropped his head and smothered a laugh.
Derrick looked at me. Not anyone else; only me. He leaned forward, taking Isabelle’s wrist in his hand. She smiled faintly, the hope slowly draining from her features.
“Isabelle?” he said.
“Yes?” Her mouth dropped open the moment she realized her mistake.
Twisting her around, he wrenched her arm behind her back. “You’re under arrest.”
Chapter 17
All’s well that ends well. Except it didn’t feel like an ending. So much had happened, and there was still so much left to do before we went home.
The storm cleared in the morning, bringing with it a blue, sunny sky. But not even the thick blanket of pristine snow could cover the evil secrets revealed during the night.
After we sent for the local authorities, they arrived to remove the bodies and take Isabelle and her brother into custody. I’d promised Andrew I’d stand up for him, and I pleaded his case during my interview. I guessed it would help. He’d still serve time for his part in the murders, but I had hope he’d get a fresh start after his release, and I would be there to help in any way I could. We all deserved a second chance. Well, most of us. Isabelle could rot.
Derrick and Harold spent most of the morning in town dealing with the fallout, and I stayed behind at the manor to help get things back to order.
By lunchtime, I was completely drained. My muscles were still sore from my trek through the snow and my fight with Isabelle, so I took a break by the fire to enjoy some alone time with the grimoire. Derrick wasn’t letting me keep it—something about it being outlawed and that it should be housed at the agency under lock and key, to be referenced only in strict emergencies.
We were still discussing what constituted an emergency.
There was a soft rap at the door. I looked up to see Cynthia hovering in the entrance. She twisted her fingers in hesitation before slipping into the room.
“May I have a word?” she asked, sitting on the edge of the sofa. Her gaze tracked to the magic book, but instead of a frown of disdain, she looked at it with interest.
I nodded and closed the grimoire, placing it gently at my side. “Of course. Is everything all right?”
Her features deflated, and a few seconds passed before she cleared her throat and tried to speak. “I owe you an apology for the way I’ve treated you. I don’t have an excellent excuse, I’m afraid, and considering Isabelle’s deception, I feel quite foolish.”
“You don’t have to explain yourself.”
“Maybe not, but your…spirited speech last night made me realize what you’ve gone through over the past few days.”
I flushed, remembering every raving second of it. In retrospect, it wasn’t one of my proudest moments.
I picked at my thumbnail. “I’ll admit, I was a little upset.”
“You had every right to be. I should have welcomed you when you first arrived. It’s hard enough meeting the parents without enduring half of what you experienced.” Her gaze drifted to a nonexistent piece of fuzz on her gown, and she plucked at it with shaky fingers. There were unshed tears in her eyes when she looked up, so I waited for her to continue. “I think a part of me wanted to. I see the way my son has changed since meeting you. Every visit is like having him back the way he was before my daughter’s death. He’s happy, and I want to be too, but I think I was afraid of letting the past go.”
She wiped at her lashes. “Ah, you never met Sophie, but my daughter was the light of my life. Everyone loved her. And then, one day, she was gone. It destroyed our family. It breaks my heart to relive those dark days, and I often find myself stuck in the past. Everything new or different feels like we’re forgetting her or moving on without her. I thought if we kept to the promises we made and lived our lives as if it hadn’t happened, maybe I could get through the days without her.
“But then Derrick found you, and it changed everything. Though, if I’m being honest, he probably wouldn’t have married Isabelle either way. She was never the right match for him, and—well, now we know the truth about her.”
I swallowed around the lump in my throat and tried to smile. “No one could have predicted what happened. She fooled all of us.” Biting my lip, I broached the other uncomfortable subject. “You know, I kind of thought you didn’t like me because I was a witch.”
Cynthia blinked. “Well, it’s not ideal.”
“Oh,” I stuttered, surprised by her admission.
She smiled and rested her hand on my knee. “But I’m seeing the benefits, and if you make my son happy, that’s what matters.”
