Chapter Twenty

Yet again, Lina dabbed at her tears with her handkerchief. “I’m sorry. No matter how much I try, now I’m alone with you, I can’t stop crying.”

“There’s no need to apologise,” said Minette, putting her arm around Lina. “Not to me. I understand. You don’t want to upset Aunt Marcelin by crying.”

Sniffing, Lina nodded.

They stood by the lake at Deverell where Lina had told her best friend about Eliot wanting to go to Salmarin and the argument they’d had.

“I want to talk to him, but when I see him, I get angry all over again.” Lina took a shaky breath. “I don’t think he wants to see me though; he always seems to be going for long rides. And when I came down this morning, Perrin said Eliot had already left for Granville. Again.” She twisted her handkerchief around her fingers. “I can’t believe he’d leave me, leave Mama and go so far away.”

Frowning, Minette stared at the ducks in the middle of the lake.

“You’re being very quiet,” said Lina, looking up from under her wide-brimmed hat.

Minette’s gaze darted about before she faced Lina. “I understand how you feel, Eliot has always been here.” She glanced at the house. “It won’t be the same without him. But. Why expect him to stay?”

“Minette!”

Her hands came up as if in surrender. “Don’t be angry. What I mean is, you can’t blame him for wanting to leave, the way Madam Climence treats him. I can’t begin to imagine what it must be like, for your own grandmother to treat you as if you mean less than the dirt on her slipper. If my grandmother treated me that way.” Clasping her hands before her, she shuddered.

Lina stared at her, her chin quivering. “But. But she’s not the only one here. We’re here too,” she whispered as fresh tears fell.

“Oh, Lina.” Minette embraced her. “I’m sure Eliot doesn’t want to leave you or Aunt Marcelin. If your places were changed, if it was to do with your father, wouldn’t you want to go?”

Lina stood back, her reddened eyes meeting Minette’s concerned ones. “I accused him of betraying Papa.”

“You were upset. We say things we don’t mean when we’re upset.” She hitched up her shoulders. “Mama says I do it all the time,” she said with a rueful smile.

“I should apologise.” Crumpling her handkerchief in her fist, Lina stared at the grass by her feet, her back to the house. “I-I don’t know.”

Minette frowned. “You don’t know how to apologise?”

“How to talk to him again. We’ve argued before, when we were younger, but never like this. I’ve never seen him so angry. I mean, I have seen him angry, but he’s never been angry like that with me. And I was so hateful.”

They stood in silence, Lina with her head bowed and Minette, having turned away from the lake, now faced the house.

“Maybe.” Minette paused. “Maybe don’t start with an apology.”

Lina raised her head, frowning.

“Maybe start by simply talking as you usually do.”

“What do you mean?”

“You can start now.” Minette, smiling, continued to gaze past Lina towards the house.

Her eyes wide, Lina turned so quickly, she almost fell. “Oh.” The word escaped her as little more than a squeak at the sight of Eliot walking towards them. Clutching Minette’s arm, she whispered, “Don’t leave.”

“But it’s–”

“Please.”

Eliot slowed his pace and stopped a few yards from them. His gaze skimmed past Lina and he smiled tightly at Minette.

No one said a word.

Exhaling loudly, Minette said, “You’ve been to Granville?”

His smile widened as his posture relaxed, his relief obvious. “Yes.”

“How is Renard?”

“He’s well.”

“And the girls? It’s been an age since I’ve seen them.”

“I barely saw them, Aunt Elisanna was getting them ready for a day out in Mariosha.”

They lapsed into silence again.

Stepping away from Lina, Minette crossed her arms. “If neither of you is going to speak, I’m going back to the house.”

Almost immediately, Eliot took a step forward towards Lina. “I’m sorry, I didn’t–”

“No, I’m sorry.” Lina interrupted him, her hands against her chest. “I said hateful things, I shouldn’t have.” Shaking her head, she closed her eyes but still her tears wet her cheeks.

“Don’t cry, please.” Eliot put his arms around her and held her close. “I know you didn’t mean what you said. Listen.” He stepped back, his hands on her shoulders. “I’ve spoken to Uncle Bertran. He suggested choices I hadn’t even thought of. I still want to go to Salmarin, but I won’t be moving there for some time, although I will arrange a visit to see my father’s company and get an idea of what will be expected of me.”

Dabbing at her cheeks, Lina nodded.

“And I promise, I will not move to Salmarin until Mother and you have moved to live with Uncle Leighton. I don’t care what Mother says, I can’t leave you both alone with Climence.”

Finally, Lina smiled. Her arms around Eliot’s waist, she laid her head against his chest. “And I promise, I won’t make a big fuss when you do leave.” Turning her face to a beaming Minette, she said, “Thank you, my dear friend.”

“You’re welcome. Though I don’t know why you’re thanking me.”

“For getting us to talk,” said Eliot.

“There was only so long I was willing to stand in silence, waiting for one of you to speak,” she said with an exaggerated sigh before chuckling.