Chapter 5 The Plan #2
What was unfortunate was that Chastity was already seated to the left of the head of the table, Temperance next to her. And on the opposite side, Prudence sat at a setting that left only the head of the table and the seat right next to it open.
And this meant I’d be sitting directly to Battle’s right.
Marvelous.
Things got worse when Battle demonstrated more gallantry by helping with my seat.
“Thank you,” I murmured, setting my drink down and tucking my bag in my lap.
“My pleasure,” he purred while taking his own seat.
I hoped the boob tape I was forced to use to pull off this dress held up as that part of my anatomy reacted to his words.
Ugh.
Kill me.
As I put my napkin over my bag in my lap (and made note none of the other ladies had them), in came Fitzgibbons with a bottle of wine wrapped in linen, and Scotty with a soup tureen.
“Did you ever meet your great-grandfather, Charlie?” Chastity spoke directly to me for the first time by whisper-asking this while Fitzgibbons filled our white wine glasses and we served ourselves soup (creamy prawn and crab bisque, it smelled delicious).
“No, he died before I was born,” I told her. “Though, he lived a long life. And my mom adored him.”
“Obviously, he married,” Temperance said. “Did you know your great-grandmother?”
I shook my head and spooned into the soup I’d placed into the bowl over my gold charger. “She was still alive when I was born, and I’m told I met her, but I was too young to remember.”
“Harmony never married,” Chastity whispered forlornly to her soup.
“And good for her she didn’t,” Temperance stated firmly. “Serves Saint right to be robbed of more progeny after breaking his own daughter’s heart.”
“Yes, but perhaps she was lonely,” Prudence said, performing a miracle since what she said made me shift focus from my delicious soup to her at my side.
She didn’t look upset, just earnest and into the conversation.
“There isn’t a female alive who needs a man,” Temperance retorted.
At that, I turned to Battle to watch his reaction to this statement, however, what I saw was that it had no effect on him.
Though he, too, liked the soup.
“But maybe she wanted one,” Prudence suggested.
“We all want something from them, darling,” Temperance drawled. “But once that’s had, the rest of what they have to offer is superfluous.”
At that, Battle stopped sipping his soup and smiled indulgently at his eldest sister.
And yes.
You guessed it.
I not only wished I’d never witnessed that smile on his fabulous lips, I also wished I’d see it again and again and again, all those times aimed at me.
“It’s like you agree with her, Battie,” Chastity whisper-rebuked his magnificent smile.
“I do agree with her, Chassie,” he replied.
“You do?” Prudence asked.
“Men wouldn’t have put so much effort into holding women down over the millennium if we actually thought you were the weaker sex,” Battle stated.
“They did it because they knew women would do a better job if they had the running of the world, and one thing a man’s ego can’t abide is anyone doing a better job than him. ”
Oh crap.
Was I going to have to like this guy?
“I adore you,” Temperance cooed at her brother.
“Only when I agree with you,” he replied.
“Indeed.” Temperance smiled an icy-cool, but somehow genuinely loving smile.
No question, I totally liked Temperance.
In order to guide myself out of the zone of Battle (maybe) making me like him, or at least tolerate him, I addressed Prudence, “So tomorrow, tour of The Downs and having a look at the attics, then you’ll show me the studio?”
“That sounds perfect,” she chirruped.
“Then, I’d like to get into what you’ve uncovered, get a plan to organize it. Could you give me a day or two with that, and after I feel I have a handle on it, we can head to Glastonbury?”
That weird static feeling came back to the air after I said this.
But Prudence suddenly appeared uncomfortable. “Well, about that—”
After what Battle told me, I wasn’t going to let her wheedle out of it.
“Or, we could go the day after tomorrow,” I suggested. “Before I get stuck in.”
Heading off Prudence’s response, Temperance said, “I say you go then. You’re in danger of running into a town overflowing with weekend-tripper flower children, white witches and Druids if you wait much past that.”
I started laughing. “Druids?”
“It’s supposedly a mystical place,” Prudence said.
“I know that, my lovely,” I replied. “But Druids?”
“They’re still a thing,” Prudence shared.
“They’re essentially hippies who wear white robes,” Temperance put in. “Or is it witches who wear white robes? Don’t answer. I don’t care to know the distinction.”
“Maybe Ravenna will want to come with us to Glastonbury,” Prudence suggested while I took a sip of soup.
At this proposal, I nearly choked, and for some insane reason my gaze flew to Battle.
He was scowling at me.
How I knew what his scowl was saying, I couldn’t tell you.
But I did.
And he punctuated it by nudging my foot with his, a move that caused Bartholomew, who had miraculously followed us in without me noticing and settled between Battle’s and my seats, also without me noticing, to groan.
I bugged my eyes out at Battle.
He subtly jerked his head toward Prudence.
I mouthed an exaggerated, I know, but what do you want me to do about it?
He did the subtle head jerk again.
“Oh, for goodness’ sake,” Temperance complained. “I’ll say the quiet part out loud.”
Battle’s brow lowered dangerously as his attention shafted to his sister.
“Tempie,” he growled warningly.
Temperance ignored him. “We all think Ravenna is full of shit.”
I sat back in my seat, rethinking if I liked Temperance.
“She is not,” Prudence said defensively.
Chastity emitted a whisper-peep.
Prudence’s voice was rising. “You too?” she asked Chastity.
“And Battie, also Vivienne,” Temperance took it upon herself to confirm.
Now my brow was lowered dangerously and aimed at Temperance.
I smoothed my features when I felt Prudence look at me.
I caught the et tu? look in her eyes and explained, “I’m one hundred percent all about tarot.
You can use the cards as a means of digging deeper into what’s happening in your life, things you might not be seeing, things you might be avoiding, feelings you might not fully understand, but should.
I guess you can say that about pretty much every”—I put my spoon down to do air quotation marks—“‘fortune telling’ thing. Like tasseography, astrology, crystallomancy or palmistry.”
“What’s tasseography?” Chastity whisper-cut in.
“Reading tea leaves,” I told her, and turned back to Prudence. “But honey, curses and actual fortunes and some of the stuff you told me Ravenna said to you…” I trailed off and shook my head.
“Though, I will say the woman knows fortunes, since she charges you one every bloody time you see her,” Temperance added.
“Enough,” Battle said low.
Temperance pressed her lips together.
I grabbed a dejected Prudence’s wrist. “But I do want to meet her. I didn’t lie about that.” I shrugged and gave her a smile. “I might be wrong. Though, how about we take another day to do that and do Glastonbury on our own?”
“With Chassie,” Temperance unpressed her lips to declare.
“Of course,” I said, then looked to Chastity, and instantly, my scalp started tingling.
She appeared downright panicked.
“Glastonbury isn’t my thing,” she whisper-asserted.
“Nonsense,” Temperance said. “You loved the ruins of the abbey when you were a kid.”
“I have—” Chastity whisper-began.
Temperance talked over her. “Sorted. You three girls head to the mystical mecca and peruse crystals and buy flower crowns and be sure to bring back some of those Viennese biscuits dipped in chocolate from Burns the Bread.”
Chastity cast rattled eyes at her big brother.
He ignored her while he calmly sipped soup.
I read the room (I hoped) and announced, “Agreed. We have a plan. Girls trip. And I’ll drive.”
It was then His Grace, Battle Talyn aimed an indulgent smile at me.
I had no idea what was happening or what I was getting into.
But whatever it was, I knew one thing from that smile.
It was worth it.