She thought I was talking about her and Prue.
“You know, the sheep and the cottages and the lettings in town and all that,” I explained. “It sounds like things are pretty busy for her.”
“Oh yes. That.” Now she was nodding her head. “I think she’s busy. But she’s so organized, I also think, in a way, it runs itself.”
I bet Tempie ran it like a well-oiled machine.
“I’m hoping, now that Battie’s found you, she’ll come out of the closet, you know, proverbially,” she said.
I grinned at her. “I get you.”
“She’s funny about her men,” she muttered, then asked, “Is this done?”
“Yes, honey, grab a plate and put a paper towel on it. Then put the bacon on the towel.”
Her brows were knit. “Paper towel?”
“What do you call it?” I snapped my fingers repeatedly. “Shit. Oh! Kitchen roll!”
“Right,” she said and headed to the kitchen roll.
Once she was transferring the bacon and I’d flipped the pancakes, I asked, “She’s funny about men?”
“Both Battie and her are about people they’re seeing. They tend not to introduce us to the ones who aren’t candidates.”
Yikes.
Candidates?
“Though,” she carried on, “Battie isn’t as strict about it. However, he will share before we meet someone,” she took off his deep purr, “‘she’s not the one.’”
That made me laugh out loud.
“He hasn’t taken us aside to tell us you’re not the one,” she went on.
I quit laughing as a happy shiver drifted over me.
“I don’t think either of us would have gone there if we weren’t…if this wasn’t…” I faltered.
“I get it,” she said and lifted the plate of bacon. “Should I put this in the oven too?”
“Yes, and grab a mitt. I want to add these pancakes to the others. Then one more round and we’re done.”
We did that, and while the pancakes were cooking, she turned fully to me.
“She likes you, loads and loads, so I think maybe you can tell her, you know, that Prue and I…we’re…” She rolled her head on her neck. “She doesn’t need to baby us anymore. She can have a life.”
Oh yes.
Either she’d done some reflecting, or she just knew what her sister was up to.
“She’s known me two weeks, honey,” I said gently. “Don’t you think it’d be better coming from you?”
“I’ve already said it to her. She doesn’t believe me.”
If Temperance was who I thought she was, she had not missed that Chastity was no longer whisper-talking, so she might be more inclined to hear her and believe her now.
“Maybe try again?” I suggested. “And if it doesn’t work, I’ll…” God, was I going to offer this? I guess I was. “Talk to her.”
