“Oh? For what exactly?”
“A position. Somewhere else.”
Silence drops over the table like a heavy curtain.
Maggie sets down her teacup carefully.
“Somewhere else?”
“Yes.”
“I see.”
Her tone remains perfectly neutral, but I’m not fooled.
I spread jam over a scone with slightly too much force.
“The Highlands are very large, Mary. Where exactly is this ‘somewhere else’?”
“Perthshire.”
“Ah. Quite far.”
“Yes.”
“What exactly are you trying to get away from?”
I look up at her.
Her gaze is sharp.
Calculating.
She knows exactly what I’m running from.
“My mistakes,” I answer calmly.
Maggie opens her mouth to reply, but the dining room doors burst open.
Cameron and Connor storm inside like a two-headed disaster arguing over who won their morning race.
“I won!” Connor announces triumphantly.
“You cheated!”
“I did not cheat. You just run like a crab!”
They stop dead the second they spot me.
“Mary! Damn, you look incredible this morning,” Cameron whistles.
“She has an interview,” Maggie explains smoothly. “She’s leaving.”
“I’m considering my options,” I correct.
“What?”
The twins speak in perfect unison, which is both impressive and mildly terrifying.
