Page 19 of The Secret of Drulea Cottage
The man cocked his head to the side. “Truly? When there’s so much world out there? Are you one of those homebodies who never want to explore the unknown? I don’t see how anyone could be content to stay somewhere like this.”
Briony frowned, offended at his arrogant tone. “Somewhere like this? Pray tell, what’s so very wrong with it? You seem awfully quick to judge.”
“Quick to judge? Just how much excitement can such a small place have? There are what, eighty people who live here?”
“One hundred and three,” she snapped, “but what does it matter how many there are? If you’ve found somewhere that yer heart knows is home, the amount o’ neighbors you have makes no difference.”
Mr. Mendes opened his mouth to reply, but Briony wasn’t finished. “Just because you’ve seen more o’ the world than I have does na mean you can decide this village is na worth yer time. You’ve spent yer entire visit inside one room, so what inkling do you have o’ what lies beyond it?”
Briony paused, stunned by her own reaction.Why am I getting so defensive? This is Everton! Most o’ my memories o’ this place are far from happy.
But all my good memories are here too. Memories o’ Adaira and Mum…
Or am I just worried he’s going to judge me as harshly as he has my home?
Briony swallowed thickly. Mr. Mendes and I actually had a chance o’ getting along pretty well, and now I’ve ruined it with my quick tongue.
The man coughed awkwardly. “I stand corrected. I apologize for my assumption.”
Briony scrutinized him.What? He’s apologizing to me?
“Perhaps there’s a way I can make it up to you?” The man’s green eyes sparkled with hope.
Rarely do I receive an apology, and never when my temper has gotten the best o’ me. Maybe there’s more to this Mr. Mendes than I thought.
She considered his words for a moment. “I have something better in mind. Once yer up fer it, how about I show you around Everton? Yer walks should include more than just the inn, and I’d love to give you the chance to see the village in a better light.”
He gave her a warm smile. “I’d like that very much.”
The Perils of Friendship
In no time, Briony found herself in a new routine, one she enjoyed more than she would have expected. Each day consisted of morning chores, followed by meeting Mr. Mendes at the inn at ten o’clock. It wasn’t long before they were gallivanting through the village, meeting townsfolk and chatting about Everton’s history.
The walking itself would last for thirty minutes at most, for Mr. Mendes could only handle so much, but the conversations usually stretched on for at least an hour, sometimes more. Briony looked forward to these talks and soon found herself wishing she didn’t need an excuse to see Mr. Mendes every day. His kind and witty nature quickly endeared him to her, and she secretly hoped he liked her company as much as she did his.
The only part of the arrangement that bothered Briony was her obligation to report to Dr. Sherwin every couple of days. He intimidated many of the villagers besides her, but the first time she went to talk to him about Mr. Mendes was especially nerve-racking.
When she arrived at Dr. Sherwin’s house, her nerves were so bad that her knees were like jelly.I’m sure he’s still perturbed about my outburst the last time we spoke. What if there are repercussions?
It took several minutes for Briony to gather up enough courage to knock on the man’s door. It opened with a loud creak, and Dr. Sherwin stood on the other side with a scornful expression.
“Hello, Doctor.” Briony tried to give him a friendly smile, but her mouth felt stiff.
He said nothing as he turned and walked into his office. If he hadn’t gestured with his hand for her to follow, she would have been too scared to move.
Briony gulped and took a seat across from him after he’d sat down at his desk.
“Write down Mr. Mendes’s condition here,” he said, handing her paper and a pen. Briony took them hesitantly, unsure how much detail he wanted. She opened her mouth to ask, but the man was already nose-deep in some medical papers. She wrote down a few sentences about Mr. Mendes’s stride and her best judgment of his pain levels before setting the page down.
“That will be all,” Dr. Sherwin said, dismissing her with his hand.
And that concluded their meeting.
The next time she went to the doctor’s house, the encounter was much the same—he took Briony’s notes on Mr. Mendes with barely a word spoken between them. Briony supposed that was simpler than trying to talk to him, so she came to accept the silence with a small degree of comfort. One fewer critical word was always a blessing.
When it reached a week’s worth of walks with Mr. Mendes, Briony decided to take him to Cramer’s Field. It was one of the most scenic places in Everton, full of tall, vibrant grass and pretty flowers.
I hope he finds it as lovely as I do… He has been to so many places though—Will it seem dull to him? Maybe ’tis just naive o’ me to think he might like it.
