The Family Secret by Terry Lynn Thomas

Author:Terry Lynn Thomas [Terry Lynn Thomas]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2019-02-18T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Carmona took the side street back to the lane that led home. She felt the wet heat of tears on her cheeks and dabbed at them with Bede’s handkerchief. She passed the old rowan tree. When they were younger, Edythe would make up stories about its magical properties. She said an entire world of faeries lived in its roots. They had roads and horses and courts of law. The faeries only came out at night when no humans could see them. ‘But if you ever have a problem that needs solving, all you have to do is touch the tree and ask your question. If you ask with love in your heart, the tree will guide you.’ Although Carmona had been charmed by the story, she had laughed it off as absurd romanticism.

Desperate, Carmona looked to make sure no one watched. She reached out a hand and touched the tree. ‘I love him. Show me how to help him.’ She kept her palm pressed to the trunk. Eyes closed, she let the whispered hush of the wind in the leaves soothe her. After a couple of seconds, she pushed away. ‘Well, that was utterly stupid.’ She wiped her hand on her skirt and made her way home.

A murmur of voices coming from the drawing room greeted her. Carmona had forgotten that her mother was hosting a committee meeting today. She met Liddy in the foyer, pushing an overloaded tea trolley towards the drawing room. It was stacked with plates of sandwiches, biscuits, and a precariously positioned pile of cups and saucers.

‘Can’t you do this in two trips?’ Carmona dashed over and righted the cups and saucers before they went crashing to the floor.

‘No. Your mother loaded it this way. Wouldn’t let me take anything off, and told me I would replace any broken items out of my wages.’ A stray lock of hair fell in front of Liddy’s eyes. She pushed it out of the way. ‘I’ve half a mind to quit right now. But I need the money.’

‘You can take the rest of the day off, Liddy. I’ll see you’re paid.’ Carmona took the cups and saucers from the trolley and set them on the library table.

‘Carmona, don’t make trouble. Your mum is lecturing about the evacuee situation. Half the village is here. They are expecting me to serve tea right now.’

‘You’d better leave before things get ugly.’ Carmona heaved the heavy trolley into the drawing room. Her mother stood before the mantle, addressing a group of women who sat in strategically placed chairs.

‘I think they will be okay through summer, but half of them don’t have proper coats—’ Claris forced a smile. ‘Carmona, darling.’

Claris had a rotating circle of women whom she kept at the ready to do her bidding. She cajoled them with flattery. She exploited their desire to climb socially until she used them or angered them or until they realized the lay of the land. When that happened, the minion currently in play would retire from charity work and a new minion would take her place.

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