Page 15 of The Secret of Drulea Cottage
All the men shook their heads.
“That’s it? There’s nothing more you can tell me?” Briony looked from face to face, seeing nothing useful. She growled in frustration and stamped to the door. “Adaira, let’s go!”
“So do we get the free meals still?” Mr. Dunnet asked.
Adaira pursed her lips. “You did na tell us very much, but I suppose I can give you one week’s worth o’ free dinners.”
Protests immediately rose at that, but Adaira wouldn’t be swayed. Briony tapped her foot impatiently, but when it became clear that the men weren’t going to let Adaira leave easily, the midwife threw open the door and marched over to the Calhouns’ house.
Why did I think they would be any help? Perhaps my mum’s secrets are just destined to stay buried with her.
Weighty Impressions
The next day, barking wakened Briony from her slumber. She stepped outside and gazed down at the shore below, instantly spotting the culprits: eight or nine grey seals. Two of the larger ones had a fish between their mouths, while the others stood nearby. Briony watched with amusement as they tugged it back and forth for a few minutes before one finally wrested it away. The winner snarled at the other seals, making them all waddle off in fear. Briony chuckled at how funny they looked; there could be no doubt that their bodies were made for life in the water, not life on the land.
Every year around this time, about thirty seals would show up on the beach below Drulea Cottage. Briony wondered where they came from and why they always chose to return.
Her mother had hated the seals and had kept Briony far away from them, though Briony had no idea why. From what she could tell, the only trouble the animals caused was additional competition for the fishermen, and that was only for about a month before the seals returned home.
Sometimes Briony would sit and watch them bask in the sun on the beach, enjoying one another’s company without a care in the world. She would imagine herself like one of them—understood and accepted.
If only humans were so easy to get along with.
Briony looked over at the time: eight o’clock. She wondered if Mr. Mendes was expecting her yet. For all she knew, Dr. Sherwin hadn’t even told him she would be the one coming.
With a sigh, Briony decided to head down to Everton Inn as soon as she’d dressed and eaten. If Mr. Mendes wasn’t awake by then, she would simply help Adaira with chores until he was ready. It wasn’t like she had anywhere else she needed to be.
Briony trudged down the beaten path, dreading the thought of seeing the young foreigner again.Will he be rude after what I said last time? Or worse…will he keep flirting with me?
She thought about his pale-green eyes and groaned. They had been difficult enough to resist the first time.
Briony had almost arrived at the inn when she collided with something tall and hard. She toppled to the ground gracelessly, hearing a loud curse as she did. She looked over to see what she’d walked into and grimaced. It was Laird Oliver.
Several furs lay around him, and two of his servants stood nearby with shocked expressions. After a moment, they recovered enough to help the laird to his feet.
“Yer recklessness made me drop my furs, and now they have dirt all over them! I hope you realize you’ll be the one cleaning them, you—”
It was then that Laird Oliver looked over and noticed exactly whom he had collided with. His cheeks flushed with anger. “Briony Fairborn, you ungrateful wench! How dare you knock into me! After I was generous enough to let you stay here despite yer upbringing, this is how you repay me?! I always knew you meant naught but ill!”
“Laird Oliver, please don’ talk so loudly,” she groaned, holding her head as the world spun around her. The laird was no slim man to run into.
“You don’ tell me what to do, you—”
“Sir, pardon my interruption, but we really must be going,” said one of the servants.
Laird Oliver fixed him with a murderous look. The servant trembled so much Briony almost wondered if he had been the one to run into her, for he seemed as dizzy as she was.
“And ’tis important enough fer you to interrupt me?”
“Lady Oliver, sir, if you remember?”
The laird’s eyes widened in understanding. A shot of fear ran through them before he covered it up with a scowl and turned to Briony. “Yer lucky I have somewhere to be. But mark my words: you’ll be hearing from me soon. I expect proper compensation fer these furs!”
Briony, still recovering from the impact, said nothing. The laird must have interpreted this as acquiescence, though, because he shifted his attention back to his servants. “Let’s go, men. Stop wasting time standing there!”
The servants jumped at his order and quickly followed behind him as he marched off toward his house.
Briony tried to give the servant who’d spoken up a grateful smile, but the man refused to make eye contact with her.
