Page 6 of The Secret of Drulea Cottage
Briony was very put off by the man’s unfriendliness, so she simply said, “Nay, that was all,” and left for Drulea Cottage.
How rude! And I was trying to be kind. I did na have to come down here… I hope Mr. Mendes is na like the captain. If he is, then he can’ heal quickly enough!
Cold as the Sea
“Nay, Mum, come back!” Briony shrieked as she awoke in a sweat. She jerked about in panic, wondering where her mother was.
But then the cold memory of Bethany’s death pierced her mind, and she realized she had only been dreaming.
Briony got out of bed slowly, still reeling from the vividness of the dream: She was standing on the beach, staring up at Drulea Cottage high on the cliff. Suddenly, her mother’s voice cried out, and Briony turned to see Bethany Fairborn a ways off in the sea, struggling to stay afloat. Briony went out to her, trying to reach her before she went under. But then an immense wave broke over Bethany, and she was gone.
Briony had been plagued by nightmares like these since Bethany’s death almost a year before. Her mother had died from influenza, but strangely enough, Briony’s dreams tended to center around water.
As she took a few deep breaths to steady herself, Briony’s nostrils filled with the flowery aromas from outside. Normally, she could dismiss the painful nightmares after a few moments, but not so on this particular morning. An uneasy knot twisted within her stomach, refusing to uncoil even as she went about her normal routine. Briony tried to ignore it as she got ready for the day, but ignoring it only seemed to make it worse.
Perhaps ’tis because the anniversary o’ her death is so close. I just need to think about something else. I suppose I’ll go down and ask Adaira how that Mr. Mendes is doing.
Briony put on a pink dress and brown headscarf and headed out. As she meandered toward the inn, she could hear the sea echoing in her ears. Many emotions billowed up within her, and try as she might, the night she wanted to forget, the night her mother had passed, came to the forefront of her mind.
It had happened just before Johnsmas, the day when all of Everton reveled in the start of summer. In the past, this had been a time of celebration and mirth, but death’s cold fingers had made that impossible for the Fairborn family that year. Briony had longed to embrace her ailing mother, or even just hold her hand, but that could have spread the illness, so she’d had to keep her distance. All she could do was watch as the woman grew weaker and weaker until she could barely lift her head from her pillow.
But even at the end, Bethany Fairborn had composed herself with a dignity and strength of character that few could attain. If only it hadn’t been to make Briony promise something she knew she would regret.
“You must stay away from the water…”
Briony didn’t recall the strange sounds or the great storm her neighbors claimed there had been that night, but those words remained crystal clear. The urgency in her mother’s voice as she’d made this final request had been all too familiar, for it was the same tone she’d always taken when discussing this topic. A topic they’d been fighting over for Briony’s entire life.
No matter how much Briony had begged, bartered, and shouted, Bethany had steadfastly kept Briony from entering or going near the water. Even without ever having touched it, though, Briony’s heart still beat to the rhythm of the waves. Her lungs still rejoiced in the salty air. Her eyes still brightened at every beauteous sunset, whose light danced across the water like a maiden in love.
Briony shook herself back to reality and turned her eyes from the sea.Mum was right; the ocean is a wicked temptress. Why else would I desire the very thing that killed my father?
Before she could ruminate on thoughts like these further, though, she realized she had arrived at the inn. She went into the kitchen and saw Adaira removing some muffins from the oven. Another batch already sat on the table.
“Good morneen,[8]Adaira! May I trouble you fer a spell?” Briony asked as she walked up behind her friend. Adaira started at the noise, nearly launching her muffins into the air.
“I swear you’ll be the death o’ me, Briony!” Adaira set the muffins down so hard they wobbled on the tray. “Or at least the death o’ my baking! ’Tis too dangerous fer my pastries these days. I’m liable to give up on baking them!”
“Nay, you can’ do that!” Briony waved her hands. “The entire village would be after me!”
“Then perhaps I won’ today. I’m na making any promises fer morn[9]though!” she threatened, furrowing her brow. Briony did her best not to laugh, but Adaira saw right through her.
“You better take me seriously, you know!” Adaira waggled a finger at her.
Briony chuckled, giving up on holding it in. Adaira’s scowl shifted instantly, and soon she was laughing with her.
“What’s all this noise in here?!” came an indignant shout that immediately staunched the women’s happy spirits.
Terrence Stubbins hobbled into the room with his cane, and Briony held in a sigh at the sight of him. She hated that poor Adaira was saddled with such a curmudgeon. His wrinkled clothes reeked of alcohol.No doubt he spent most o’ the night in the tavern again.
“I apologize, Father. We did na mean to wake you. Please, go back to bed,” Adaira urged.
Terrence looked between the two of them, disapproval glinting in his eyes. “Causing so much ruckus! I know I did na raise you to be that way, daughter. Must be this one’s influence on you! Heaven knows she’s na good fer anything but trouble, just like her mother.”
Briony seethed, opening her mouth to reply, but Adaira placed a hand on her arm. The contact helped Briony clamp down on her anger, for Adaira’s sake.
When Terrence realized neither of the women was going to say anything else, he turned around and waddled back toward his bedroom, grumbling as he went.
Briony rolled her eyes.
