Chapter 32
With two days left before the Christmas party, Violet had no time to waste.
Sunday morning brought more menacing gray clouds. Four inches of new snow had fallen overnight. The dazzling whiteness of the streets showed in sharp contrast to the dark sky. In between, buildings looked frosted.
The ideal day to stoke the fire, brew endless pots of tea, and settle in with heaps of interesting reading material presented itself. A relaxing time for rest and perhaps an afternoon nap, followed by a hearty meal and even more lying about.
If only.
While it sounded idyllic in her head the reality that there were endless tasks to be completed before Christmas carried more weight than lounging. And with one less-able limb, attending to it all posed a challenge.
Damn it.
Violet chuckled. What would Father think if he could read her mind and hear that swear word spoken so forcefully—albeit silently? He would have a proper fit, is what would happen. And he’d surely not hesitate to tell her exactly what was on his mind, hearing his daughter use such unladylike language.
Lin came into the parlor carrying a tea tray. She put it on the tea table and poured cups for each of them.
Placing Violet’s on the side table beside her chair and within reach of the uninjured left hand, she smiled and asked, “I hear laugh. You happy today?”
“I suppose I am content. Well, about some things. About others? Not so much, but I’m hoping that passes. It has to, doesn’t it? After all, I’m not giving it any other choice but to pass—I shall wait and see, I suppose. That is the right thing to do, don’t you think?” She ended with a long, drawn-out sigh.
Her companion’s eyes grew so huge on her pretty face that she looked like one of the cartoon drawings that had begun appearing in the weekly newspaper.
“This means happy?”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Lin. It’s all extremely complicated. But you heard me chuckle, I think. It is almost like laughter, but more of a derisive sound, really. Oh, right. You probably are stuck on that word, aren’t you? Derisive…ah, that means cynical or mocking or…well, never mind, it’s not important.” She realized she spoke in circles, so she paused, took a breath, and smiled. “I apologize. I think out loud and sometimes that can be a bit, well, off-putting.”
Hoping to stem the tide of the conversation, Violet reached for her cup and took a sip. Lin’s expertise at tea brewing made every teatime a remarkably pleasant experience.
Violet still hadn’t been able to address her new friend by her real name. She was used to calling her “Lin” already, and it wouldn’t do to take any chances. Revealing the princess’s true identity could be the worst mistake either of them might ever make. They could end up dead if the wrong person found out who hid in Violet’s home.
They couldn’t behave like scared cats, either.
Lin’s health would suffer in captivity. Everyone benefited from fresh air—even cold, nose-numbing air. And sunshine, too—but that likely wouldn’t arrive for weeks to come.
They both needed to get out. As tempting as lying about sounded, Violet knew it served no good purpose. Mother would say that avoiding the inevitable made it worse. Hiding at home, trying to keep out of sight of every Wylder resident because of her fear she might run into one certain man was nonsense.
“Lin, how do you feel about going to the schoolhouse to help me with Christmas preparations this morning?” Lin looked skeptical so she added, “We shall disguise you so no one will ever guess who you are. And if we are asked, we shall say you are a dear friend from back home in South Carolina. Yes, that will do nicely.”
Lin raised her eyebrows. She took a sip of tea. Then, a strangled giggle escaped her lips.
“Me? Carolina?” Another choked giggle.
“Yes, South Carolina. No one will be any the wiser if I do all the talking and you stand beside me and show that pretty smile of yours.” She made a mental note to clothe Lin in the smallest dress she had, the one tucked in the back of her closet waiting for its seams to be let out. “And by the way, I do believe you just chuckled.”