Page 42 of The Secret of Drulea Cottage

Surely they can’ be involved in something dangerous. Santiago is a good man. At least, he seems to be. How well do I truly know him? Has my attraction to him been clouding my judgment?

“Senhorita?”

“Hmm?” Briony looked up at Costa and realized she’d been silent for several seconds.

“Where was it you said you heard that word?”

Briony’s eyes narrowed. “I already told you I don’ remember.”

She looked pointedly at the clock on his desk. “Ah, is that the time? I better get going—I promised Adaira I’d help her at the inn. Thank you so much fer yer time, sir. I’ll just let myself out.”

The captain rose as Briony did, his ominous smile making it clear he knew she was lying. “Farewell, senhorita. I’m sure we’ll see each other again soon.”

A Long Way to Go

“Adaira, I need yer help,” Briony said. She’d gotten a good night’s sleep after her conversation with Captain Costa, but rather than feeling better now that it was morning, she was even more shaken up than before.

The innkeeper’s daughter immediately put down her mixing bowl and pulled up a chair. “What do you need?”

“I-I—” Briony stammered as she tried to think of how to voice her worries.I don’ want to say I was eavesdropping and overheard something that may or may na be bad—

“—am struggling because o’ the young Mr. Mendes,” Adaira finished.

“Aye, I’m so confused right now that I don’ know what to think. I—How did you know ’twas about Mr. Mendes?”

“Just keep going. Tell me what’s troubling you.”

“I just, I don’ know if I can trust him. Most o’ the time, he seems completely honest and funny and charming and…” Briony trailed off with a blush.

A knowing smile appeared on Adaira’s face, but she didn’t say anything.

“But I feel like he may be keeping something from me. Something important.”

Adaira’s eyebrows furrowed in deep thought. “You mean like how yer keeping yer feelings from him?”

Briony’s eyes widened. “Nay! That’s na—Nay, that’s na it!”

Adaira’s smile turned playful. “Then you don’ have feelings fer him?”

“Nay, ’tis na that, I do, but I—” Briony broke off with a gasp. “Adaira, you did that on purpose!”

Adaira leaped from her seat and pointed at her friend. “That’s a confession! I knew you were interested in him!”

“Na so loud, Adaira! I don’ want all o’ Everton to hear!”

“So has he shown interest in you too?”

I should have known I’d have to talk to her about this eventually.

Briony sighed. “’Tis hard to say. Sometimes he gives me these looks and I think he feels the same way. He never declares it openly, so maybe I’m just seeing what I want to see. How can I know fer sure?”

“’Tis all in the wee things he does. If you watch couples when they first start courting, they say more with their actions than they do with their words. Their eyes light up when the other person enters the room. They laugh and smile more easily. Their hands move toward each other without even meaning to. ’Tis heartwarming to see.”

Adaira stared into the distance as if her mind had wandered elsewhere.

Could she be thinking o’ a special someone right now? I’d bet money that Mr. Burgess does those things around Adaira. I hope he does na make her wait much longer before he declares his affections.

Does Santiago behave that way around me?