Page 62 of Once Bitten, Twice Mine

Once they were out of the dead of winter, it was one of the unnecessary expenses she had cut.

“Wood works just fine.”

Caroline sighed. It would take a lot of wood for cooking, and now they would also need to be burning more wood to heat the house. It was far more money than she had budgeted to last until she married Edgar; she needed to sit down at her desk to work out the sums. It was more than her head and fingers could handle.

“It’ll be fine, Miss Blythe,” Cook said. “Keep your chin up. I’ve sent the stable boys out to chop wood, and when they’re finished, we’ll clean up this mess. Your parents will be back soon.”

She wanted to snap that she would still be the one dealing with this, but he didn’t deserve her anger. She needed to write Edgar for money. It was humiliating that he was writing her nonsensical love letters and she was resorting to begging for scraps, but her need to take care of her home outweighed her pride.

It didn’t take long for the day to get away from her. She had letters to write, books to balance, and lace that wasn’t going to weave itself.

“Cara, what did I tell you about smelling like that?”

She popped her head up to see Valeria standing before her with a hand covering her mouth.

“If my smell bothers you so much, go elsewhere.” She was not in the mood to play one of Valeria’s games.

“I could smell your distress before I even woke up. Tell me what has you so vexed?”

She wanted to dismiss Valeria so she could stew alone in her misery, but she could tell by the hard expression on her face that she wouldn’t accept being sent away, so she placed her lace aside and sighed. “Everything’s wrong! I have no money, and my house is falling apart, and it feels like if I don’t do it, then it won’t get done and I’m so, so tired.”

It was more than she ever meant to reveal, but it felt good to unload even a fraction of what she carried. To Valeria’s credit, she looked amused as she sat in the chair across from her. At least she no longer complained about her smell.

“That seems to be very difficult, my little Atlas. What in your house failed today?”

“The chimney in the kitchen hearth crumbled, so we can’t use it anymore. So no more bread, and that was the primary way the house was being heated. It was going to be difficult enough to get a bricklayer out here to do repairs, but now that it’s fully collapsed, I fear it will be so much more expensive.”

“Can’t you find another bricklayer? I’m sure the craft didn’t die with Mr. Hall.”

Caroline glared. “Not one that I can afford! Lucy told me her brother could do it, but I had to stop her before it got too far because it was an awful idea.”

Valeria frowned. “Why? It sounds to me that your problem is solved.”

“He’s a stonemason, not a bricklayer.”

“So,” she shrugged, “It’s the same philosophy. If he can build a bridge, I’m sure he can repair a chimney. Tell her you changed your mind and there, one of your problems has been solved.”

“It’s not so simple,” Caroline snapped. “He’ll be missing out on other pay and better jobs, and he’ll probably have to buy new tools that he won’t ever use again, and that’s if he even knows how to fix a chimney. I can’t pay him anything even close to fair, but I worry Lucy would bully him into doing it for free.”

“And how would that be a problem?”

“Because it isn’t fair to him!”

“Is this scenario entirely made up in your head, or did Lucy share any of it with you?”

“I don’t know why I even bothered to tell you. I knew you wouldn’t understand.”

She wasn’t sure if she wanted to cry or chuck her bobbins, but something about the way Valeria’s lips twitched as she draped herself on the chair made her incensed.

“I’m only trying to understand, cara mia. You don’t know anything about his experience or what jobs he would have to give up. You said no before it could become a conversation.”

She crossed her arms. “I don’t need anyone’s charity.”

“It’s all right to accept help when it’s offered.”

She set her jaw in a hard line. Valeria wasn’t necessarily wrong, but she didn’t want to need help. It was bad enough she had to marry Edgar, but now she needed more. It was as if there was no end to her humiliation.

Valeria sighed. “No help from Lucy, then. Will you accept help from me?”