Page 5 of Destiny Redeemed
“It barely worked. I didn’t see many tears.” I narrowed my eyes.
“Anyway.” I studied the deed in my hands. “Now, let’s see what Annalise thinks about expanding Magnolia right under Madame Primrose’s powdered nose.”
“My lady,” Laurel whispered as we hurried away, “did you really have to tell him your fictional husband died of amysterious wasting disease?”
I popped another stale almond in my mouth, grimacing at the taste. “Would you have preferred being eaten by bears while hunting?”
* * *
“What’s our next move?” Laurel asked as we walked down the cobblestone streets. The moon cast long shadows across our path, and my feet ached in my silk slippers.The irony.I should have worn more practical shoes, but hindsight is a wonderful thing.
We had stopped using carriages from the palace since my divorce, and I had too much pride to keep using that. Since it had gotten so late, we couldn’t hail a carriage to return. So, we were walking.
“Find a house,” I replied, scanning the darkened buildings. The sun had set, but the air was still warm, and I loosened my cloak a little. The humidity in the summer was stifling.
Laurel stopped dead in her tracks. “A house? Whatever for?”
“Because, dear Laurel, I need to move out of the palace within a month.” I kept walking, forcing her to catch up.
“But then how is it that Lady Penelope and others live at the palace? They aren’t even married.”
“Because the Queen invited them to stay. I, on the other hand, am not.” I let out a dry laugh. “Well, let’s just say I’m in a different situation entirely.”
“And how did you manage to get divorced without Lord Noah’s signature?” Her voice pitched higher with each question.
I smirked. “When Her Majesty grants something, no signatures are needed. The Queen’s word is law.”
Laurel’s brow furrowed. “You could demand alimony, you know. Take one of Lord Noah’s country houses—”
“And be labeled an opportunistic money-grubber?” I shook my head. “No, thank you. I’d rather eat dirt than depend on a man’s charity.”
“My lady!” Laurel gasped, but I noticed a gleam of admiration in her eyes.
“What? Too crude for your delicate ears?” I teased.
“No, it’s just…” She hesitated. “I’ve never met a noble lady who’d choose independence over comfort.”
“Well, now you have.” I gestured grandly at myself, nearly tripping over an uneven cobblestone in the process. “Though I must say, walking instead of taking a carriage is testing my commitment to independence.”
Laurel giggled, then quickly sobered. “But where will we live?”
“We?” I arched an eyebrow at her.
“Of course! You don’t think I’d let you face this alone, do you?”
A warm feeling spread through my chest, but I would rather kiss a toad than admit how much her loyalty meant to me. “In that case, I suppose we’d better find somewhere with two bedrooms.”
I lifted my skirts to avoid a muddy puddle. “And, we make the boutique profitable. Then expand.”
“You make it sound so simple.” Laurel’s steps quickened to match mine.
“Simple doesn’t mean easy.” A warm breeze rustled my skirts. In my previous life, I’d never walked these streets at night. Now here I was, a divorced woman trudging home in the dark like a common merchant. “But better to walk freely than ride in a gilded cage.”
“Speaking of walking…” Laurel’s voice dropped to a whisper. “I think someone’s following us.”
I didn’t turn around. “How many?”
“Two… no, one shadow.”
