A servant wheeled a tea tray into the parlor and parked it next to the sofa. The housemaid performed a little curtsy and then left the room.
I stared at the pair of cups sitting in their saucers and the tiered display of mini sandwiches.
Cynthia reached for the teapot. “It was rude of me to not invite you for tea that first day, so I thought we could try again.” She handed me the pot. It was ice-cold. “Would you mind warming it up?” The corner of her mouth quirked. “I’d like to see your party trick.”
I grinned in return and took a deep breath. My magic had slowly recovered over the course of the day, and I whispered the spell, keeping the pot between my palms until steam shot from the spout.
Cynthia laughed while I poured her a cup. Taking a delicate sip, she settled back against the sofa.
“So tell me about your magic shop, Tessa. And don’t leave anything out. Derrick told me you turned a woman’s hair green once.” Her gaze flashed with amusement. “Start with that one.”
***
It wasn’t long after my tea with Cynthia finished that Derrick returned. We hadn’t really spoken since our argument, and those words were hanging over our heads. It had been a whirlwind from the moment Isabelle was arrested. Now things were calming down, and I was worried about facing him.
He sat across from me on the sofa looking exhausted, and all I wanted to do was curl up next to him and sleep for a week. But there was something about the way he held himself that made me reluctant to make the first move. We needed to clear the air first.
“How did everything go in town?” I asked, passing him a cup of tea left over from earlier.
His fingers wrapped around the cup, and he sighed as if the warmth soothed him. “They’re going to transfer Isabelle and Andrew to the kingdom later this week. The agency will take over the case and look into the theft at the shipping company. We’ll probably have to provide our statements again, but for the most part, it’s over.”
“That’s good to hear.”
He stared into the bottom of his cup. “I talked to Andrew, and he told me everything. He also mentioned how you convinced him to let you go after he took you into the woods.”
“You’re probably angry I left the parlor, but I wanted to warn you about what I discovered in the grimoire.”
“I’m not angry. Obviously, I would have preferred if you weren’t abducted and threatened at arrowpoint, but you got yourself out of a dangerous situation, and I’m proud of you.”
A rush of relief flowed through me, but it slowly faded at the seriousness etched into his features. This wasn’t the end of our discussion, and I was positive not even a death rattle would work in my favor. I braced myself for the rest.
“Look,” he said, leaning forward to place his elbows on his knees. “I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said, and you’re right. We can’t keep going on the way we have been. It took me a while to see that, and this ordeal put everything into perspective.”
“How so?”
“I sent a dispatch while I was in the village. I let the agency know I’m accepting the director position. I’ll start right away.”
I scooted to the end of the sofa. “That’s great! You earned this promotion, and you’ve worked so hard.”
He rubbed a hand over his chin and took a heavy breath. “I realized we need to give each other some space to figure things out.”
“Space?” My stomach tightened.
“You’re a talented investigator, Tessa, but my instincts will always be to keep you safe, and that prevents both of us from moving forward. With the right training and more experience, you’re going to be one of the agency’s best detectives, and I can’t stand in the way of that. I won’t do that to you.”
“I…um.” There was a rock in my throat, and every word hurt. Was he choosing the job over us? Could I even be mad if he was doing it with my best intentions at heart?
“There will be other changes too. Big ones, and it will be an adjustment for both of us, but I think it’s for the best.”
Oh, for the love of spell books, I’m going to cry.I hung my head and covered my eyes with my palm.
“I hate changes,” I croaked.
“These will be good changes. You’ll see.”
How was that even possible when we were giving each other space?Ugh, I hate that word.I knew it! I knew this trip was going to ruin everything. I should have come up with a million more excuses before ever setting foot in that carriage.
He was still talking. I tried to focus.
