Page 58 of Vengeance Becomes Her

CHAPTER NINETEEN

The door bursting open startled them both awake. Hair tousled, sheets bunched around their waists, they were completely disheveled when Jade barged in. Her hands immediately flew to her eyes as she entered the room.

“What’s happening? I was worried that you two had snuck off in the night without saying goodbye.” Her back was now turned to them.

“We’ve been here the whole time,” Rhiannon shot out defensively. Annoyed at her sister for assuming the worst of her and discovering her secret before she had time to think it through. “You couldn’t knock?”

“I. Thought. You. Were. Gone,” Jade huffed out, voice laced with irritation. “And I certainly didn’t expect this.” She threw her hands up in the air. “Are you covered now? It seems ridiculous to be having this conversation with my backturned to you.”

Tristain let out a chuckle, unbothered by the whole spectacle.

Rhiannon grabbed her robe while her sister’s eyes were covered, scrambling to figure out how she would explain this away. She knew her sister wouldn’t judge, but she felt panicked and ashamed all of the sudden. She’d resisted him for so long and then she caved in the worst way. Part of her felt shame for sleeping with Silas’ brother, but mostly she felt frustrated that she couldn’t deny how right it felt. She still had a lot to sort out without the added pressure of having to explain itto anyone else.

Rhiannon turned to her sister, eyes pleading with her to let this go for now. Thankfully, Jade clearly read the awkwardness Rhiannon was feeling and decided to drop it for now.

“Anyways, now that I know you two haven’t unceremoniously abandoned us, breakfast is waiting. I suggest you make it up there so mother knows you’re still here.”

“Can’t you just tell her?” Rhiannon asked, her voice full of irritation at her sister’s barging in and now bossing her around.

“I think you two need some fresh air and some sustenance.” A knowing smirk spread across her face as she walked back out the door. “See you soon.”

Rhiannon covered her face with her hands partially in humiliation, partially in annoyance. “I’m going to wash up. Apparently, we need to make an appearance.” She slammed the washroom door with a bit more force than she had intended.

When they were both done freshening up, they walked over to the house for breakfast, hoping her sister would have mercy on them and not expose them to her mother.

Tristain took the chair nearest to Rhiannon today, likely knowing it would set her on edge just a bit. She was completely flustered at the thought of anyone else discovering them. He slid a mischievous gaze over to her, catching her eyes wandering to him every so often.

“How did you sleep, Rhiannon?” He chuckled under his breath knowingly. Jade nearly choked on her water at the question.

“Do you have a desire to get stabbed in the leg with this fork?” Rhiannon mumbled under her breath as she pressed the tines into his thigh in warning.

“You do look lovely today. You seem lighter,” her mother said, making things even more awkward.

“Thank you, Mother.” She stomped Tristain’s foot under the table and sent her sister a glare, hoping to silence them both so that the rest of the breakfast could hopefully go on without incident. Luckily, they took mercy on her, satisfied with the embarrassment they’d already inflicted on her.

Before they left on their journey, Rhiannon had some things she needed to pick up in town. To make her trip back easier, she arranged for a carriage to take her.

The market was bustling this morning, and the unique combination of fresh, fruit-filled pastries, wood shavings, and the early autumn filled her nose. The sun shone brightly but there was a chill in the air, rustling her forest green cloak around her as she made her way through the busy shopping area. The stalls were filled with merchants selling their goods and customers eagerly spending.

Part of her missed the simplicity of this, the way her life had been before Silas. She would come here frequently to shop and mingle to her heart’s content. Now, she was here for completely different purposes. No aimless browsing today.

Rhiannon cut a direct path to the leather shop. When she entered, a woman went to approach her to ask her what she needed fitted today. She held up her palm to signal that she didn’t need or want any help. She parted the curtains to the back room. “Sabine, it’s Rhiannon. I’m here to pick up my order.” She saw the rough spun sack sitting on a table with parchment under it that had her name written on it in elegant handwriting. The handwriting of a friend. Her heart clenched again at the thought of saying goodbye to all the connections she had here.

Sabine rounded the corner as she was picking it up. Rhiannon held out the money she owed her. “Here, I appreciate you making these custom for me, they’ll be a lifesaver out there on the road.”

Sabine counted the money, looking up at her in surprise. “This is too much. You counted wrong.”

“No, I wanted to give you extra for the trouble, I know it was a lot of work for you in a short period of time. Take care Sabine. I don’t think I’ll be seeing you for a while.”

“Goodbye, Rhiannon. Take care of yourself. Wherever you’re going, you’ll look stunning.” She winked and returned to her workshop.

After a few more stops, it was time to go back home. She was weary from all the ruckus of the market, not to mention the challenges that lay before her that suddenly felt so much more real.

She allowed herself to meticulously absorb every detail she could on her ride home, her eyes nearly unblinking as she watched the scenes that played out outside her window. The stone-made homes with their ornate detailing and dark coloring. The plentiful trees with their orange and red leaves. The whimsical way the random dirt paths and official roads passed through one another, working around the natural landscape.

She had never been far from home, especially not for an undetermined amount of time. She would miss it. Her family, the garden, her library, the way Oakhaven came alive during markets and festivals. But she would never be happy here if she didn’t succeed on this mission. She needed this closure if she would ever truly be able to live again. There was no other way to go back to any semblance of normality.

The carriage stopped outside of her home in what felt like no time at all. She gathered her parcels and followed the path to her home. She walked it every day, but this time, she appreciated all the memories connected to it. The once uneven stone her father had fixed after she tripped and broke her wrist. The one she and Jade used to hide secret notes under. The one that marked the site of her first kiss. Her entire life was here. But it had almost ended here too. The dark thought crossed her mind as she reached her door.

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