And then with a stiff body, he strode out.
Just to say, Fitzy and Patsy had been there a long time.
I didn’t know precisely how long.
I just knew they held affection, and even love, for the Talyn family. As such, they couldn’t miss the four of them had been forced to navigate life essentially without parents.
And he excelled at his job, so being infuriated, he’d take that elsewhere.
Once Fitzy left, Prue queried in a small voice, “That’s all she asked?”
I got up and hobbled over to sit beside her on the sofa, where I took her hand.
“Sorry, sweetheart,” Battle said when I was in position. “That’s all she asked.”
Hamish tucked Tempie closer. Christian nabbed Chassie’s hand. I held Prue’s fast.
Again, there was silence.
“Does anyone have anything they want to say?” Battle invited.
“Or shout,” I added.
“She was grasping and vacuous when she was around,” Tempie noted. “It’s hardly a surprise she hasn’t changed.”
After Tempie said this, Chassie made a noise then started crying.
Battle began to make a move to go to her but settled when Christian got up, pulled her out of her chair and into his arms.
I watched Battle watching this.
This meant I watched Battle struggle with handing over the reins he’d held so steady and strong for twenty-eight years, providing love, support and protection to his baby sister.
Witnessing this struggle, I wished I was holding his hand.
But for Chassie, no real shocker, her big brother bested it.
Chassie pulled from Christian and cried, “God, she’s such a bitch!”
She then started sobbing again and Christian tucked her right back to his chest.
“How are you hanging in?” I asked Prue.
“It”—she pulled her shoulders in and released them—“hurts. But it always hurts. I can’t say I’m surprised. Except at the level of cruelty it took for her to call Battle to ask that question when she can just Google rules of the peerage and know.”
“It’s not cruel. It’s selfish and thoughtless and lazy, all her, all the time,” Tempie stated. “It didn’t even occur to her to think how Battle, or any of us, would respond to her call.”
This was the sad truth.
The room descended into silence again.
Eventually, Chassie stopped crying, and Christian sat her back in her chair, but he pulled his closer to hers so she could list to the side and rest her head on his shoulder.
“This is what I know,” Hamish announced.
Everyone looked to him.
He didn’t disappoint.
