Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 129951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
“You’ve been—” Tempie tried.
“I know what I’ve been, Tempie,” Chassie snapped. “I’m not that anymore. I figured it out. He took everything from me. Everything. My boyfriend. My shop. My life in Bath. My strength. My courage. He took everything, except the three of you. And I let him.”
Tempie started an approach, beseeching, “Please don’t look at it that way, darling.”
“How should I look at it, Tempie? It happened. I let it. And now I’m going to stop letting it. Chelsea was right. But I’ve been watching Vivi and that’s how I’m going to be. Life punches you in the teeth. You bleed, wipe away the mess and keep going. I’m not going to let him scare me anymore. I’m not going to let him take any more from me. And I sure as fuck am not going to let him take any more from you.”
“You go, Chassie,” I whispered encouragingly.
She shot me a timid look then pulled it together and tossed her chaotic curls.
She locked eyes with Tempie. “So Hamish is here because you want him here. You’re just scared I’m going to worry that Battie found Vivi, and you have Hamish, and Prue will become a big-time author, and I’ll be alone. Well, I know I’m never alone. I know I’ll never be alone. Prue can take me with her on her book tours, and Prue’s good company. That will make me happy. But however it happens, I’m going to get on with my life. I haven’t figured out what I’m going to do, but that’s for me. It is not for you. All I know I am going to do is get out of the way of your life.”
No one said anything.
And then Tempie did.
“You were our wee china doll.”
Oh God.
Her voice was an open wound.
“Everybody out,” Battle ordered, his gaze glued to Hamish.
I wasn’t about to move, at least not toward the door.
But I saw Hamish, his handsome face a mask of anguish for Chassie, also for his woman, heading toward Tempie.
And I didn’t have a choice.
Battle took hold of my elbow, he grabbed Chassie on the way, and Prue scurried after us.
Battle closed the door on Tempie’s first sob.
My heart shattered.
He turned from the door and Chassie fell into his arms.
Her sobs were quiet.
He stroked her hair.
We stood just outside the door for a bit, hearing the muted humming burr of whatever Hamish was saying, the feminine weeping coming from Tempie, but eventually, Prue herded us to the smoking room.
When we got there, Battle took Chassie to the sofa, and they sat in it with his arms still holding her close.
“I’ll just tell Cook dinner might be delayed,” Prue whispered, and she took off.
I was so agitated, worried about Chassie, about Tempie, I couldn’t sit.
So I went to the windows, stared at Chassie’s beautiful garden and listened to a woman I loved weeping.
“I-I knew she’d be m-mad,” Chassie eventually wept into Battle’s chest. “B-b-but Ravenna told her she was going to l-lose him. And sh-she’s still here. Sh-she d-didn’t go to London. Even with you here. I h-had t-t-to do something.”
“You did right, love,” Battle purred. “Just right. It’s going to be fine.”
I turned my head their way.
Battle’s gaze was on me.
The expression on his face was harsh and hopeful, an odd combination, but pure beauty.
Prue returned.
“Cook’s good,” she announced, going directly to Chassie and taking control. “Let’s get you up. See to your face.”
Chassie rose, sniffled and wiped her cheeks. “Did you go by the parlor? Is she still crying?”
“I just heard Hamish when I walked by,” Prue told her, leading her toward the door. I saw her big smile. “That was a totally crazy idea. I wished I had it.”
Chassie looked at her, startled.
Then she giggled a little bit as they disappeared in the hall.
I turned to Battle. “Are you okay?”
He lifted one long finger then stood from the couch.
He stared at the door his sisters walked through for a beat, two, three…five, and then he went to it and closed it.
After that, he came to me.
“Did you hear whatever Chelsea said?”
Oh boy.
“Yes,” I admitted.
“What did that bitch say?”
“Battle—”
He got in my face and clipped, “Vivienne, what did she say?”
“She just hinted, rather strongly, that you’d never find a duchess because you had to look after Chassie and Prue.”
“To their face?”
“To my face, but they were there and didn’t miss it. Tempie told her to get out of her sight right after she said it. Rally was pissed as shit. Courtney was a mess. If she didn’t walk out of the room, I think Rally would have tossed her out.”
Battle’s jaw clenched.
“Tempie had words with them after,” I rushed on. “I thought she’d handled it.”
“She didn’t.”
No.
But Chelsea did.
“Honey, I hesitate to give Chelsea any credit, but I feel at this juncture I should point out that, even if what she said was cruel, and wrong, it did get Chassie to thinking.”