Brianna nodded.
“How?” Evie asked.
Chloe interrupted with her impatience. “What do you mean we are represented as the Triple Goddess?”
“I mean, the three of us are positioned like the Triple Goddess in the tapestry of the Night of Shadows,” Evie said.
Chloe’s gaze snapped back to Brianna, her eyes narrowing. “Brianna, too?”
Before Evie could reply in an attempt to keep the peace, Brianna answered.
“Yes, me, too. Just what is your problem with me?”
“I’ll tell you what my problem is. You—”
“Chlo—”
“Don’t try to shush me, Eve. She has it coming.”
“I havewhatcoming? You don’t even know what I went through for you two.”
Brianna dropped the spoon, her flight instincts rising. She didn’t want to fight her sister. She wanted to bolt. But then, she also wanted to clear things up with Chloe if she’d listen. The problem was, she doubted she’d listen.
Chloe scoffed. “Oh, please. After Mom and Dad died it was so obvious you were only doing your duty.”
Brianna remained mute, pressing her lips into a thin line as she stared across the table at her sister. Evie’s face drained of color once again. She sat ramrod straight and perfectly still in her chair, her eyes wide and her spoon hovering over the trencher. Brianna waited for herto intervene, but she said nothing.
She took a deep breath to calm her ragged, raging nerves. “You have no idea what I was going through when Mom and Dad died.”
“Yes, I do. You were living it up in Puerto Rico. I doubt you were ‘going through’ anything stressful.” Chloe put the wordsgoing throughin air quotes and rolled her eyes.
Red rage clouded her vision. She clenched her hand into a tight fist, her nails biting into her sore palm. She realized, too late, it was the one with the brand from the rock.
“You think you’re so smart with your fancy degree and your international museum job, don’t you? But the truth is, Chloe, you don’t have a damn clue about me or my life.” Chloe started to object, but Brianna forged on. “Let me finish. You’re going to hear what I have to say and you’re going to keep your mouth shut while I say it.”
Evie’s eyes widened at the sheer venom in her voice. Chloe clenched her jaw, the anger lines in clear display around her mouth.
“I was going through the divorce from hell when Mom and Dad died. Not only did I have to pack up and leavemy home, but I also had to come back and deal with the probate court and all the shit the goes along with two people who died without leaving wills. Not to mention dealing with two moody teenagers.”
Evie sucked in a sharp breath of surprise. Chloe’s eyes widened a scant inch.
“That’s right. They had no wills. Do you know what a giant pain in the ass that was? Meanwhile, not only did my ex-husband decide to clean out my bank accounts, leaving me in financial ruin, but he also took everything I ever had except for the clothes I came back with. So don’t be so quick to judge me with your high and mighty self, hmm?”
And with that, she shoved back from the table, her chair scraping along the floor, and stomped out of the great hall. The door slammed behind her. She stood a moment there, the cold breeze fluttering over her burning cheeks as she closed her eyes and tooka deep, calming breath. Tears threatened behind her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.
Brianna had done everything possible to shield Evie and Chloe from the hell she had been going through with her parents’ deaths and her messy divorce. Maybe she’d shielded them too well and it had clouded Chloe’s vision about who she was and her motivations.
“Lass? Are ye well?” Jamie’s voice was like a soothing balm to her soul.
She opened her eyes to see him standing near her, concern creasing his features. She shook off her anger and her despair and managed to smile.
“Yes, thanks. Just a bit of strife with my sisters.”
His gaze flickered to the closed door behind her. Deep understanding furrowed his features.
“Och, siblings can be difficult, aye?”
She stifled a giggle. “They can.”
