Page 60 of The Secret of Drulea Cottage

Adaira leaned closer to Briony and whispered, “I’m sorry! Did he truly kiss you?”

“Aye, he did. Yesterday, when I was sitting outside, he marched over and kissed me with nary a word o’ greeting! And then afterward, he apologized fer it and said ’twould never happen again. ’Twas so bizarre I don’ know what to think!”

“Did he na explain why he did it?”

“Truly, he acted as surprised as I. As though he had na meant to do it. He asked to talk to me after Johnsmas tonight, but then Niall proposed! And just to add to the mess, Lucia said she and Santiago will be leaving within a week. I just don’ know what to do!” Briony held her face in her hands, rubbing her temples to stop the headache that was beginning to form.

Adaira placed a consoling hand upon her friend’s shoulder. “It sounds like you need to hear Mr. Mendes out before you tell Mr. Moreland anything. But first, answer this: What was the kiss like?”

“Adaira!” Briony exclaimed, a little louder than she meant to. She caught herself and said more quietly, “Did you forget that he promised na to do it again?”

“People say all kinds o’ things in the heat o’ the moment. Maybe he wants to talk to you because he realized he was being stupid.”

Briony groaned. “This is the most excitement I’ve had in all my life.”

“Ah, but that’s part o’ the fun!” Adaira elbowed her with a grin. “But ’tis past lunchtime. How about you and I have a picnic at Cramer’s Field? The weather is too lovely to eat indoors anyway.”

“Aye, that sounds—”

KNOCK!

Without waiting for a response, William Burgess pushed his way inside and glanced around the room. He scampered over to Adaira with a smile, one hand behind his back. “Mistress Stubbins, we got the fish!”

Adaira chuckled as she turned to the boy. “You did? How wonderful! How many did you catch?”

William shifted the hand behind his back and revealed several small fish dangling from a string. He proudly displayed them to the women, oblivious to the puddle he was forming on the floor.

“Oh, what a feast we shall have! That’s more than enough fer dinner tonight!” Adaira patted the boy on the shoulder. “Well done.”

Briony smirked as she watched the exchange.’Tis as if he’s already her own.

“Aye, we got so many that we figured we could eat some fer lunch too. Da’ already invited the others downstairs to join us.”

Briony paled.There go my chances at a peaceful lunch. Now I’ll be lucky if I’m calm enough to eat anything at all.

“I’ll go tell Da’ I told you!” William spun around and scampered off, leaving a watery trail behind him.

Briony sighed as soon as the door closed. “I’m na sure I can handle both Mr. MorelandandMr. Mendes right now. I don’ even know my own feelings.”

“What better way to figure out which o’ them you love than by spending more time with them?”

“’Tis na that simple…”

Adaira raised an eyebrow and put her hand on her hip. “Briony, listen to me. You may na be sure you can handle so much fuss, but frankly, I’ve na seen so much life in you in years. Yer mother, God rest her soul, was so determined to keep you safe from the world that you never got to just be yerself. Ever since—” She cut off with a shaky breath and bit her lip.

Adaira cleared her throat and tried again. “Well, you know. And after her death, you were so heartbroken. But then these people showed up, and now look at you. Yer the fiery, fun-loving, passionate woman you always should have been. And I, fer one, am grateful to those men fer the part they’ve played. Stop being frightened o’ yerself. Sit beside me at lunch and think about what you truly want. Then see what Mr. Mendes has to say tonight and go from there. Make yer choice and stand confidently in it because Iknow’twill be the right one.”

*

Before long, the group sat on a couple of blue blankets, surrounded by the beautifully lush grass and flowers. Briony had sat down beside Adaira, but somehow, Niall had ended up on the other side, with Santiago directly across from her. They had brought along tea, biscuits, and Adaira’s delicious porridge to go with the fish. All in all, it would have been an idyllic picnic, were it not for the tension running through Briony’s body.

To make matters worse, Niall kept watching her. She had avoided eye contact the entire walk outside, trying to distract herself by talking to William about his fishing trip, but that didn’t keep her from feeling the heat of the man’s gaze.

Lucia pinched her lips into a grin as she steeped her tea. “What lovely weather this is.”

“Aye, ’tis much cooler than yesterday,” Mr. Burgess agreed.

A rumble came from Santiago’s throat, much deeper than his normal speech. “Indeed.”