in Montgomery Woods stayed comfortable all year long.
Well, comfortable unless you were petite, like Liberty’s sister-in-law, Katie, then your toes turned into tiny snowdrops after walking around on the limestone longer than five minutes.
Liberty handed Katie a pair of fuzzy socks she’d retrieved from her chamber. “These should help.”
Katie took them, and nodded, looking at her with a pair of almond shaped eyes that tipped up at the corners. Liberty had decided long ago they looked feline, though all the cats she’d met were much less aloof. At most, her thanks was the straight pin smile Katie offered.
Fair enough. Katie still hadn’t forgiven her and Liberty still didn’t care.
“Anything else I can get you?”
“No thanks, the socks are enough.”
Liberty grit her teeth, turned away, and crossed the room to sit next to her husband, Nathaniel. They locked eyes. He winked, patting the cushion next to him, pleased with her cordial behavior. She shrugged. It was a small gesture, all things considered.
Gathered in the largest of the five chambers of the cavern, the sitting room, they sat on furniture Nathaniel had constructed from scraps of pressure-treated wood. Liberty thieved as little as possible, so she thanked Mother Nature for the cushions, having been retrieved after a windstorm.
She noticed Adrian had entered their unofficial meeting, and found a seat at her small desk near the doorway. The lanterns in the sitting chamber softly lit the center of the space, but Adrian sat on the edge, in the shadows. She imagined if she lived in a real house, she’d place her desk in a corner. Then he could sit facing it for eternity.
“So, Gabe,” Nathaniel said, hands laced together and elbows propped on his knees like a man without a care in the world, “out with it, already. What’s the big news?”
Katie and her husband, Gabriel, had arrived the previous night with their son, Adrian, in tow. The spontaneous visit unsettled Liberty, and with a sick anticipation gnawing in her stomach, she’d tossed and turned, unable to sleep at all.
“Yes,” Liberty said, hoping for something benign like a baby announcement, though doubtful with Katie as big as a willow branch. “Please share.”
“Well actually, Nathaniel.” Gabriel made it a point to direct his words to her husband. “Cutler sent us with a message for you.”
Liberty stared at the smiling couple, kept a straight face, and didn’t bat an eyelash. Cutler, her sister Patience’s mate, had a message for Liberty’s. She could tell this news was fantastic already.
“Cutler?” Nathaniel repeated, not bothering to hide his surprise.
Katie nodded and grabbed Gabriel’s hand, a genuine grin plastered on her face. “Yes, it’s very exciting.”
Liberty paid close attention to her own posture, her expression. No need for word to get back to Proem concerning poor Liberty Brewster, perched on the edge of sanity ever since she’d lost her daughter. Nope. She took a shallow breath. She wouldn’t give it to them.
Nathaniel sat and waited for more, and Gabriel spoke up, “Cutler would like you.” He looked at her, added, “And Liberty, to consider moving back to Proem.”
Katie squirmed, couldn’t stand not being the one to tell the story, and took over for Gabriel. “Not just move back, Nate, he wants you to be on his Council.” She clasped her hands to her chest, said it like Nathaniel would be King. Liberty wanted to choke her. She and Patience really were two of a kind. Upper hierarchy turned them on.
“Oh, no, thank you,” Liberty said before Nathaniel had a chance to answer, her voice as serene as a lake in Pleasantville. “We won’t be moving back.”
“I can understand your hesitation.” Gabriel nodded. “But—”
“I don’t.” Katie glared and raised her voice, “And excuse me, this offer is posed to Nathaniel. I think he can answer—”
Gabriel patted Katie’s shoulder and Nathaniel put his hands up, and waved.
Well, comfortable unless you were petite, like Liberty’s sister-in-law, Katie, then your toes turned into tiny snowdrops after walking around on the limestone longer than five minutes.
Liberty handed Katie a pair of fuzzy socks she’d retrieved from her chamber. “These should help.”
Katie took them, and nodded, looking at her with a pair of almond shaped eyes that tipped up at the corners. Liberty had decided long ago they looked feline, though all the cats she’d met were much less aloof. At most, her thanks was the straight pin smile Katie offered.
Fair enough. Katie still hadn’t forgiven her and Liberty still didn’t care.
“Anything else I can get you?”
“No thanks, the socks are enough.”
Liberty grit her teeth, turned away, and crossed the room to sit next to her husband, Nathaniel. They locked eyes. He winked, patting the cushion next to him, pleased with her cordial behavior. She shrugged. It was a small gesture, all things considered.
Gathered in the largest of the five chambers of the cavern, the sitting room, they sat on furniture Nathaniel had constructed from scraps of pressure-treated wood. Liberty thieved as little as possible, so she thanked Mother Nature for the cushions, having been retrieved after a windstorm.
She noticed Adrian had entered their unofficial meeting, and found a seat at her small desk near the doorway. The lanterns in the sitting chamber softly lit the center of the space, but Adrian sat on the edge, in the shadows. She imagined if she lived in a real house, she’d place her desk in a corner. Then he could sit facing it for eternity.
“So, Gabe,” Nathaniel said, hands laced together and elbows propped on his knees like a man without a care in the world, “out with it, already. What’s the big news?”
Katie and her husband, Gabriel, had arrived the previous night with their son, Adrian, in tow. The spontaneous visit unsettled Liberty, and with a sick anticipation gnawing in her stomach, she’d tossed and turned, unable to sleep at all.
“Yes,” Liberty said, hoping for something benign like a baby announcement, though doubtful with Katie as big as a willow branch. “Please share.”
“Well actually, Nathaniel.” Gabriel made it a point to direct his words to her husband. “Cutler sent us with a message for you.”
Liberty stared at the smiling couple, kept a straight face, and didn’t bat an eyelash. Cutler, her sister Patience’s mate, had a message for Liberty’s. She could tell this news was fantastic already.
“Cutler?” Nathaniel repeated, not bothering to hide his surprise.
Katie nodded and grabbed Gabriel’s hand, a genuine grin plastered on her face. “Yes, it’s very exciting.”
Liberty paid close attention to her own posture, her expression. No need for word to get back to Proem concerning poor Liberty Brewster, perched on the edge of sanity ever since she’d lost her daughter. Nope. She took a shallow breath. She wouldn’t give it to them.
Nathaniel sat and waited for more, and Gabriel spoke up, “Cutler would like you.” He looked at her, added, “And Liberty, to consider moving back to Proem.”
Katie squirmed, couldn’t stand not being the one to tell the story, and took over for Gabriel. “Not just move back, Nate, he wants you to be on his Council.” She clasped her hands to her chest, said it like Nathaniel would be King. Liberty wanted to choke her. She and Patience really were two of a kind. Upper hierarchy turned them on.
“Oh, no, thank you,” Liberty said before Nathaniel had a chance to answer, her voice as serene as a lake in Pleasantville. “We won’t be moving back.”
“I can understand your hesitation.” Gabriel nodded. “But—”
“I don’t.” Katie glared and raised her voice, “And excuse me, this offer is posed to Nathaniel. I think he can answer—”
Gabriel patted Katie’s shoulder and Nathaniel put his hands up, and waved.