Page 82 of Fragile Oath

Tea was even lesspleasant than usual. Fiona and Gracie were both at my table, along with Avani, who had bravely sat down beside me. Jocelyn and Gwyn were caught up at Fenella’s table, which looked to be its own kind of fun.

For a solid hour, I had the privilege of enjoying Fiona’s snide remarks and Avani’s dry responses and Gracie’s occasional amicable interventions.

It wasn’t until Lady Andra was kind enough to join us for the last fifteen minutes that the tension eased at all. While Avani distracted Davin’s former lovers, I fell into another easy conversation with Lady Jameson.

She didn’t ask about my gaudy ring or point out that none of the other ladies brought their dogs to the table at court. Instead, we sipped on spiced apple tea and ate cinnamon rolls while she told me how beautiful Lithlinglau was in the spring.

It was nice, to finally feel like I was making a friend at court, one who wasn’t related to Davin by blood or who hadn’t desired to share his bed. At least, not according to Avani.

After the world’s longest tea, there was more socializing before I went back to my rooms to freshen up for dinner.

By the time Davin came to escort me to dinner, I was almost reluctant to leave. I held my breath, curious if our tentative truce would hold. His eyes were guarded, but not as distant as they had been.

“Lady Galina,” he greeted.

It was formal, polite, and I found myself unreasonably resentful of it.

“Lina,” I corrected.

He raised an eyebrow, and I took a deep breath.Small truths.

“I like it better when you call me Lina.” Actually, I preferred it when he called meLove, but I wasn’t sure either of us was ready for me to admit that just yet.

His lips tilted up at the corner in a knowing smirk that made my entire body tingle in awareness. He looked perfect tonight in a deep emerald jacket that matched the embroidery on my paler green gown.

“Even though it’s a heinous breach of Socairan propriety?” His teasing tone had some of the tension fleeing my shoulders.

Bantering with Davin was like breathing, and I was starved for oxygen.

I shrugged. “That’s what makes it so suited toyousaying it.”

A low chuckle escaped him as he held out his arm for me. I wrapped my hand around his bicep, stepping just a bit closer than the stilted distance we had been keeping for the past week.

Our easier atmosphere continued through dinner, where I forced myself to admit that I preferred the leg of the hen even though it was messier to eat.

It wasn’t anything important, not yet. My stomach still churned when I admitted to disliking something I was supposed to like, and I couldn’t look at him for ten solid minutes after acknowledging that I hadn’t slept well the night before.

But true to his word, he was being patient, and I was trying.Learning, as Gwyn had said.

Once dinner was over, my uncle handed me a letter from my parents.

“It came this afternoon,” he said gruffly.

I inclined my head. “Thank you, Uncle.”

He only turned to go with a last disapproving look at Malishka, and I hurried to my rooms to open the first missive I had received from my parents in the months since I left Socair.

Malishka, it began.

It was from my father, then.

Your mother and I arrived home this morning. We are taking care of matters of the estate that were overlooked in our absence, and ensuring that all is well, should we need to travel going forward. In the unfortunate event that your betrothed cannot be located, I trust a trip to Lochlann will be necessary in the near future.

We, of course, will mourn him first.

Sarcasm and a warning.Give it time to let things blow over before you have another wedding. But they would come here, to Lochlann. I didn't know what would happen, if there would even be another wedding, but their open support was more than I could have hoped for.

And not just theirs. It didn’t escape my notice that if the letter had come today, my uncle had written even before I came to see him.

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