Page 133 of The Secret of Drulea Cottage
But then Briony’s mind shot back to the last time she’d danced…
And to the man she’d never gotten the chance to dance with.
Briony suppressed a groan of frustration, annoyed at her own sentimentality. Thinking of Santiago only brought misery, yet she didn’t seem able to stop herself.
Why am I still so upset about this? If he was coming back, he would have done it by now. This is what’s best fer both o’ us.
“Briony? Are you all right?” Adaira appeared out of nowhere with a gentle hand on Briony’s arm.
The young midwife opened her mouth to lie, but as she looked at her friend’s face, she knew she couldn’t do it. Ever since she’d returned to Everton, Briony had relied upon Adaira more than ever. Their argument from before had been easily forgotten, and the two of them had promised not to have any more secrets from each other.
“Nay, I’m na. I just… I think I need to be alone fer a while. I’m sorry.”
Adaira patted Briony’s shoulder. “No need to be sorry, dearie. ’Tis na easy to let go o’ someone and move on. It takes time, often much more than we expect. Go on, and I’ll see you soon.”
Briony smiled gratefully, glad Adaira understood enough that she didn’t need to say more.
She nodded and slipped away from the festivities there on Mary’s Hill. She debated going to her rocky outcrop to look out over the sea but decided a dip in the water in seal form would be better medicine for her aching soul. She’d been doing it almost daily since she’d returned, though always at night when fewer eyes were around. And even though it never took away all Briony’s pain, sinking beneath the waves usually brought her a small measure of comfort.
She’d almost reached home to retrieve her pelt when a flash of movement caught her eye. She stopped dead in her tracks and stared incredulously at the sight before her: a lone ship coming up near the shore below her cottage.
What would a ship be doing coming in at this hour?She glanced behind her at the other villagers, but they were all so caught up in their revelry that no one seemed to have noticed the new arrival.
Briony took a second look at the ship, and her heart almost stopped beating at what she saw. A white flag was flying at the top of it. A white flag with a large red crest.
It can’ be. It can’… But what if…Then, as if her own lightning had struck her, Briony’s heart leaped in her chest and began pounding at top speed. She flew down the path, losing her scarf in the process but not caring in the slightest. Not when there was a chancehewould be there.
And as her bare feet touched the wooden planks of the dock, a person stepped off the ship’s gangplank. A person with pale-green eyes and blond hair.
“Hello, Briony.”
Before he had even finished speaking, Briony was sprinting the rest of the way and throwing herself into his arms. Warmth spread through her as Santiago returned the embrace.
But—
“What are you doing here, Santiago?” Briony pulled back as she remembered not only how excruciating these last six weeks had been but also the pain in his eyes when he’d lost his sister. Pain she still blamed herself for.
The man looked away, his face full of shame, which made Briony even more confused. He ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath before speaking. “I know I don’t have any right to come here, not after being away for so long. I’m sorry. After Costa’s arrest, Cardoso took us straight to Portugal for the trial, and as an important witness, I couldn’t leave until everything was out in the open. I wanted to come back sooner, but I had to make sure justice was done. And I had to take care of the…funeral arrangements.”
He lifted his gaze and tried to lock eyes with her again, but it was her turn to look away in shame.
“Santiago, I… I can’ tell you how sorry I am. I-I should have done better, moved faster. If I’d just…”
Fingers at her lips put a stop to her sputtering. She looked up, afraid of what she would see. But rather than anger, she saw concern. “What are you talking about? You can’t possibly think what happened to Lucia is your fault?”
A tear spilled from Briony’s eye then, gliding down her cheek until it reached Santiago’s fingers. Understanding lit up his face, and he moved his hand to wipe away the trail of moisture.
“Amorzinho, don’t believe that a second longer. The only person responsible for Lucia’s death has already paid for it with his life. You areblameless. Please don’t carry a burden that was never meant to be yours.”
Briony swallowed hard, trying to control herself, but it was like Santiago’s words opened a veritable flood of tears as she felt the weight of guilt lift from her shoulders. Soon she was sobbing into the crook of his neck as he whispered words of solace into her ear.
When she was finally able to calm down, she leaned back and smiled up at him, still having a little trouble believing he was really there in the flesh. But then she frowned as she noticed something. “Santiago, where’s your ship? Was it too damaged to be fixed?”
Santiago gave her an embarrassed grin and put a hand on the back of his neck. “Well, to tell you the truth, I sold her. This ship just came to drop me off and will be sailing back to Portugal in the morning.”
“YOU WHAT?!”
He chuckled a bit. “Aye, I decided it was time for something new. I’ve known for a long time that I wasn’t cut out for a life in Aveiro, but it wasn’t until recently that I realized I’d like to put down some roots somewhere. And the life of a merchant didn’t seem like the right fit for that…” He trailed off and looked at her hopefully.
