“We need ice,” Christian stated, thankfully moving to his jeans. “She turned her ankle.”
But one must say, it was interesting to know botanists worked out.
Chassie was scrambling to pull the covers over her, and her face was so red, it was gleaming.
Christian hefted his jeans up and prompted, “Ice?”
Prue squeaked then dashed from the room.
I turned to Battle, Tempie and Hamish.
Hamish was studying the ceiling.
Tempie was grinning broadly at her sister in the bed.
Battle looked homicidal again.
Though, I noted, even though Chassie seemed okay (outside the ankle) none of them appeared prepared to leave.
I shambled to my man, just in case I had to be close for a lockdown, asking Chassie, “What happened?”
Her eyes got big, and she pulled the covers up over her nose.
“She got out of bed and the floorboard went,” Christian answered, crouching down. “I was in bed, she was too far away, I couldn’t grab her.”
I looked down at the floor.
The rug was disturbed, pushed through a hole.
“Took a step, she went right through,” Christian finished.
“I must have walked on that spot on the floor a million times,” Chassie said from behind the covers. “It’s so crazy it went this morning. I didn’t even feel it was loose.”
First things first.
I looked up at Battle. “Why don’t you, um…”
He carefully guided me aside, and I thought he wanted me out of the way because he was going to bum rush Christian.
But he squatted down and slapped the rug back.
He then walked to Christian calmly, they both stared down at the displaced floorboard, then Battle squatted again, shoved it fully aside, reached into the floor and came out with a thick stack of letters bound in a faded green ribbon to what looked like four volumes of journals.
“Charlie’s letters, I presume?” he asked me when he straightened.
“Oh my God!” I cried just as Chassie cried, “Goodness!” and Tempie drawled, “Well, hell.”
I got grabby-hands and took the letters from Battle.
I looked at the address.
Lady Harmony Talyn
The Downs
Haverbourne, Devon
The return address was Great-Granddad Charlie.
