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10
Her mother seemed nervous. Brinna supposed she could empathize with Scarlett’s anxiety about sharing the story she’d withheld from them for the whole of their lives. While Brinna loved her mother and respected her reasons, she along with her family was ready to hear it.
But the silence stretched on, and in the strained atmosphere, she wished she were at Sol breaking bread with Lucian instead. A strange desire.
The clink of the dishes as they drank tea seemed overly loud as each of them nibbled on scones and pastries arranged on plates around the table, the only sounds giving the cottage life. Worse, the longer Scarlett remained silent, the more strained Brinna’s siblings grew. Especially Tarley and Auri.
Scarlett sat in her usual place at one end of the table, Tomas at the other. Brinna had taken her usual place between Auri and Tarley, which was why she could feel their tension so acutely. Jessamine and Mattias sat across from them.
Jessamine caught Brinna’s eye, her dark brows coming together with confusion and a flick of her gaze at their mother and back to Brinna.
Brinna shrugged, unsure, then jumped when the fire cracked loudly in the hearth.
“Mother–” Tarley started, her strained patience lacing her tone. “You promised. The wedding is over.”
“Yes. I did.” Scarlett set her teacup in its saucer, and Brinna detected a slight rattle of the porcelain.
Scarlett wiped her hands with her napkin, then her mouth. “I’m not sure where to begin.”
“Start with the ribbons,” Jessamine suggested, laying a hand over Scarlett’s forearm. Scarlett reached over and patted Jessamine’s hand, then ran a thumb over her ribbon.
“Auri was right,” Scarlett started, then stopped, leaning back in her chair after picking up her cup once more and taking a sip. This time she kept the cup between her hands.
Brinna took another sip of her tea, glancing at the herbs floating inside, a nice zip of cardamom and lemon with a touch of something sweet.
“A protection spell?” Auri reached and touched Brinna’s ribbon.“From what? Why magic? None of it makes sense.”
“One thing at a time,” their father said. “Let her go at her pace, yes?”
Scarlett paused, her eyes hopping between them as she seemed to consider what to say. Brinna followed her mother’s gaze glancing from Tomas to Jessamine, who exuded the patience she always did. Tarley shifted in her seat with contrasted impatience. Mattias watched Scarlett expectantly, his mouth full of scone. Their father took a sip of his tea, watching Scarlett over the top of the cup as he sipped. Auri narrowed her gaze, communicating her displeasure.
Brinna took another sip of her tea and set the cup down, turning the dish so the handle was just right. “Mother?” she prompted after Tarley sighed next to her.
“You must know,” Scarlett said, “everything I have done has been to protect you.”
“From what?” Auri asked, exasperated now, a great heft to the words.
“Him.” Mattias took another bite of his second scone.
It looked delicious, and Brinna was so hungry. She took a bite of the one she’d put on her plate, the cinnamon, sugar, and butter flavors bursting on her tongue. She was famished and polished it off.
“Does anyone need more? Tea? Maybe some more scones or fruit?” Scarlett stood.
“Enough with the food, Mother,” Tarley snapped and set her cup in the saucer with a clank. “You’re stalling. I don’t have the time or patience for it.”
“Agreed,” Auri added.
Scarlett sank back onto her chair, then glanced at the table, watching Jessamine take another sip of her tea.
“Keep going,” Auri said. She lifted the cup to her lips, sipped, then set it down.
Scarlett nodded, then glanced at Tomas, and back to her own tea. With her hands clasped under the table in her lap, Brinna watched as Scarlett hunched in on herself.
Brinna gulped down the last bite of scone she’d practically inhaled, worried suddenly. Her mother looked… withered, and that was not who Brinna knew her mother to be.
“Mother?” she asked, taking another sip of tea to wash down the scone.
Scarlett’s gray eyes flashed up to Brinna’s. She offered a short smile as if to reassure her, then looked back to her own teacup. “This isn’t easy.” She took another sip, turning her head to glance out the window.
