Page 79 of Potions & Prejudice
“So what happened with the goat?” Georgie asked.
“We had to trek through three feet of snow to find it,” Elspeth replied. “It took us the better part of the night. And then we had to sleep in a cave with the goat because we were all so frozen we couldn’t return to our campsite.”
“I can’t believe she stole a goat and lost it.” Georgie laughed. “All because she didn’t want it to become someone’s meal.” Georgie paused. “Did the goat survive?”
Elspeth took a bite of her roasted turnips. “It did. Auggie can bevery persuasive when she wants to be. She convinced the farmer that his goat would make an excellent pet instead of a meal.”
I chuckled at the story. It sounded like something Georgie would do.
Georgie stuffed another bite into her mouth.
“Slow down,” I said. “You’re going to give yourself a stomachache.”
Georgie popped up and kissed me on the cheek, and I stiffened. She hardly ever showed me this kind of affection. “I’m done.”
“You’re done?” I asked, looking at my own half-finished plate.
Her gaze flicked to Elspeth. “Mm-hmm. I have... homework to do. Upstairs.”
Witch’s tits. Could she be any more obvious?
“Georgie,” I started, but she flounced away.
“Well, I’m off.” She turned and winked. “Don’t be home too late.”
For fuck’s sake. I turned to Elspeth, grimacing. “Sorry about her. I told you she was trouble.”
“She’s not so bad.” Elspeth took another drink of her ale, one she’d let me choose. It had hints of apricot, cinnamon, and caramel.
“How is it?” I asked.
She leaned back in her chair. “The food or the ale?” She paused. “Both are delicious. I didn’t know you were such a good cook.”
I shoved a hand through my hair. “Well, I wasn’t always. But when I began caring for Georgie, I had to step up in ways I hadn’t before.”
“Why the tavern?” Elspeth asked.
I shrugged. “I wanted to give Georgie a stable life. A home.”
Something sad passed across Elspeth’s face, and I didn’t know what I’d said wrong.
“I’m sorry,” I offered.
Her eyes crinkled at the corners. “For what?”
“You looked sad,” I said hesitantly.
Her mouth dropped open, then she snapped it shut. “I just worry sometimes that all this traveling isn’t good for my sisters. That they’re missing out on important experiences.”
“So why don’t you stay?” I leaned forward, then winced at how desperate that sounded. “For your sisters,” I amended.
“Right.” Elspeth’s gaze bore into mine. “For my sisters.”
I pushed my plate aside, needing to ask the question that had beenon my mind since I last saw her. “Why did you run away the other night?”
Elspeth’s breath hitched. “Why didn’t you follow?”
“Did you want me to?”
