Page 44 of A Wayward Movement

“You really think Father wouldn’t like it?” she asked, a hint of wistfulness in her voice.

“I’m sure of it,” Aunt Diana said firmly. “And since he’s not here, I have to be his voice.”

Alina didn’t answer for a long moment, staring into the small fire burning in the corner of the kitchen. It was good to see times weren’t terribly lean, if the family could have a fire going all through the day. She and the twins rarely had a fire, even on the coldest of nights.

“I miss them.” Her voice was soft when it finally emerged. “Especially Mother.”

There was a moment of silence, then Aunt Diana lowered herself into a chair. She seemed to be making an effort to soften her voice as well, although her tension was still clear.

“Not your father?” she prodded.

Alina gave her a faint smile. “Yes, him too, of course.” She didn’t want to hurt the other woman’s feelings. “But Mother is the one I think of when I feel lonely. She always had so much time for me. And so much patience.”

“Well, your father was working hard to earn every bit of success he had,” Aunt Diana pointed out. “Your mother certainly had a soft heart.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Alina protested.

“No.” Her aunt smiled. “Of course it wasn’t. She was a wonderful person, and she’s missed.” She leaned across the table, laying her hand on Alina’s.

“What happened, Aunt Diana?” The words burst from Alina. “Where did Father’s wealth go? Where were they returning from when their carriage overturned? They didn’t tell me they were going somewhere, they didn’t even say goodbye before leaving for the day. And the next thing I knew, they were carried back into the house on—”

“Don’t speak of it.” Aunt Diana cut off her choked words in a gruff voice, drawing her hand back. “Why distress yourself? Surely you don’t wish to relive it any more than I do.”

“I don’t wish to relive it,” Alina agreed, a hint of desperation in her voice. “But I do want to understand.” She remembered Xavier’s disbelief that she was accepting the lack of answers, and she told herself to be brave. “Please, Aunt Diana. I need to know what happened. Why did I lose everything? Why is this my life?”

“I thought you were content with your life,” Aunt Diana said. Alina didn’t know if she was imagining reproach in her aunt’s voice.

“I am,” she insisted. “I…I try to be. But I’ve been thinking a lot lately about all that we lost. About what used to be and what…what might have been. It’s so hard to accept what happened when I don’t understand it.”

“You’re too hard on yourself,” Aunt Diana said firmly. “You were only a teenager. You can’t expect yourself to have followed the intricacies of your father’s business interests. How would we even unpack it all after so long? What does it matter which deals fell through, which investments proved poor? I know you grew up in luxury, child, but people lose fortunes every day. It’s not so uncommon.”

Alina frowned, less satisfied than ever with the vague answers. But her aunt wasn’t finished.

“One thing you should know is that the king knew of your father’s difficulties. The crown could have helped him. He’d done business enough with the castle to warrant some notice. He received none. That’s why I’m cautioning you not to put your faith in the crown.”

Alina gave her head a little shake. She could understand her aunt wishing there’d been some magical solution for the difficulties that overtook the family. But Alina didn’t hold it against the king that he didn’t rescue her father from the failure of his business. That just felt like looking for someone to blame. She had no right to count on anyone, so no one was at fault for her losses.

“What about when they died?” Alina said, changing course. “What can you tell me about that night?”

“Nothing you don’t already know, Alina.”

Her aunt was hiding her agitation poorly. Alina knew it would cost the other woman to dwell on that time, but she wasn’t ready to give up.

“Surely there’s more to know,” she said. “They didn’t tell you where they were going?”

“If they did, I can’t remember after all this time,” her aunt said. “But what does it matter where they were traveling from when their carriage went off that bridge? The point is that it did.”

Alina opened her mouth, ready to protest further, but her aunt stood.

“I’m sorry I can’t invite you to stay to dinner this time, Alina,” she said. “But things are chaotic here today.”

Alina looked around the still kitchen, taking in the calm of the yard outside.

“It’s all right,” she said dully. “I’m sorry to impose.”

“You’re not an imposition,” her aunt insisted. “I just have a lot on my hands.”

“I know.” Alina’s voice was more natural as she rose. “I’ll come by if the group travels to the city, all right? And you’ll come see me if you’re ever heading toward the desert?”