Noontide by Stein Willard

Author:Stein Willard [Willard, Stein]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Amazon: B0D5WT16WJ
Goodreads: 214163128
Published: 2024-06-19T22:00:00+00:00

Sixteen

“Do you think it’s a good idea?” Mildred queried softly as soon as they were alone in the kitchen again. She understood that they needed to sell the idea to the public to remain in charge of the narrative. But an article now would mean another one in ten days.

“To share my joyous recovery in an article? I don’t know.” Eve rose from the chair and stretched. “I intend to walk around and fully live out the last few days I have left. The fewer reasons we give people to speculate, the easier it will be for me.”

“And what about later?” She hated to think that this would all eventually end and that Eve would be taken from her.

“I won’t be around for that.”

Mildred wanted to be angry at the woman for her flippant response. They were talking about her life and the pain her death would leave in its wake. But she came to accept that Eve was simply stating the truth. She wasn’t going to be here. Deciding to let the topic rest, she stirred some sugar into the tea.

“I’m afraid I have no mint here.”

“No problem.” Eve took a cup from her, looking around the small kitchen. “I must say, you seem quite at home around here.”

It was an innocent observation, but Mildred couldn’t stop the blush that rode up her neck to colour her cheeks. Eve’s eyebrows lifted slightly before she smiled and took another sip of her tea.

“It is a small place; one needs only a few minutes to orient oneself.”

Mildred’s cheeks grew even hotter. Whatever Eve was thinking, and she could almost tell with a high degree of certainty what her friend was thinking, the noblewoman was wrong. She hadn’t done anything to be embarrassed about except for sleeping in Christine’s arms last night. It was the first time she had spent the night with a woman without it turning into a night of utter debauchery.

As much as she may have wanted the night to go down that route, she had sensed the American’s mood, and it wasn’t sex that the woman needed last night. There had been an air of sadness about the woman, and something in her wanted to be there for her and not have her deal with it alone.

Christine Vermont could feel deeply, and that was something that drew Mildred to her like a moth to a flame. Spending as much time as she had in a societal bubble that was largely devoid of real emotions and authenticity, being met with such strong, honest emotions was both refreshing and comforting.

“I don’t see your shadow around,” she said quietly as she gestured for Eve to have a seat. Elena would stop by to let them know when it was time to leave.

Eve had a pensive look on her face when she spoke, and Mildred could tell that, even with the threat the woman posed, her friend was concerned for the witch.

“She’s acting strange.”

Mildred shrugged.

“She is a stranger, after all. Perhaps what you see as strange is merely her being her odious self.

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