The Best Kind of Chaos by Tammy Jo Burns

Author:Tammy Jo Burns
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tammy Jo Burns

The door had been left open when Grayson entered the hallway. After he stormed off, Abigail peeked inside to see what possibly could have set him off, but only saw his parents, Willard, and Jane. She tried to step back into the hall, unseen, but Jane looked up, saw her, and beckoned her into the room.

“Abigail, my dear, Willard and I have some news we would like to share with you.”

“Oh?” she asked, cocking her head slightly.

“Yes,” the older woman said, her eyes shone brilliantly with joy as she looked up at the butler. “You see, we’ve been keeping a little secret for the last ten years or so.”

“Secret?” Abigail asked, her stomach churning with dread at what her companion might say. Secrets were never good, at least not for her. They always seemed to foreshadow something dreadful about to occur in her life. She prayed this time would be different, but if the knots in her stomach were any indication, well…

“Yes. You see, Willard and I have actually been married all this time.”

“Married? But how?”

“The logistics are not important, my dear,” the old woman waved her off. “I have decided to step back from running Cliffside Manor. Willard and I are retiring to the dowager house.”

At the statement, Abigail felt light-headed and her knees weakened. She stiffened them and gripped the back of the nearest chair for support, refusing to collapse in front of these people.

“Davis, she’s going to faint!”

Agatha’s words came to her as if through a long tunnel. The sound of footsteps behind her reverberated oddly in her mind as two more people joined them.

“Henry, catch her before she falls. I can’t reach her in time,” a deep voice from across the room seemed to speak in slow motion. A scuffling noise came from behind her and arms wrapped around her, guiding her to sit. She felt as if she was seeing double because the same woman sat on either side of her, just one slightly plumper than the other. Of course she knew it was Grayson’s aunt and mother as they had visited Cliffside Manor before, but it seemed to make the situation more surreal. A glass was shoved into her hand and guided to her lips for her to drink. When she did, she gasped and choked, realizing it was whisky. When she tried to push it away, it was forced on her until she was coaxed to empty the glass.

“There now,” the woman on her right, Agatha, said, patting her gently.

“I didn’t mean to upset you, my dear,” Jane said, a worried expression on her face. She now stood next to Willard, looking down at Abigail, frowning and appearing hurt. “I thought you’d be happy for us.”

“Oh, Jane,” she managed to say, her voice raspy after drinking the strong spirits. “I truly am happy for you. You, too, Willard.”

“Thank you, Abigail,” the older man said, though he looked at her with concern. “If you’re so happy about this, then might I ask what is wrong?”

That moment was when the sobs started.

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