Steeling myself, I focused my attention on the book, hopeful that it would give some answers.
" Lily," Enid sighed," This is a book on the occult arts. How come you're interested in this mumbo jumbo," Enid said in a slightly irritated tone, as she shut the book under my nose.
" Uhmm," I shrugged, " Just expanding my scope of interests," I casually replied with a shrug, which was met with a heavy eye roll, and disapproving shake.
" Maybe next time when you're expanding your scope, just moved the ladder. This book is not worth having broken bones, or far worse," Enid sarcastically said, as she handed me the book.
" Come. We are going to the market, where I can keep an eye on you," She turned around on her heels, pretty ruffled up by my foolish behaviour.
Following suit, I decided not to add anything to fuel her further. I needed to save up all the energy I had to read that book. It was more than I could have hoped for.
" So," I drawled, testing the shaky ground I was walking on, making Enid look over her shoulder," How was your morning?" I asked with a cheeky grin, mostly because I was excited at the prospect of solving at least one mystery.
" It was fine, up until the point I got home and I found hanging from the ceiling," It was an exaggeration. I scoffed under my breath, and hummed, making a mental note not to do those kinds of things around Enid. It was like rattling the wolf's cage.
" We have guests for dinner," Enid announced the moment she climbed in the car. When did that happen?
" Who?" I curiously asked, strapping myself with the seatbelt. I was in for a long string of abrupt breaking and accelerating. Enid's driving, made me want to put on two seat belts, not one.
" Some old acquaintances that are passing through town. No need to worry about it. Descendents of a long of Duchess's and Duke's. It will be an interesting evening for all of us," Enid replied as she abruptly stopped the car at a red light, and I felt the strap of the seatbelt dig into my chest. No, pressure.
" All of us," I rasped, while Enid hummed and nodded. That included Mason. My day just turned longer and the book had to wait.
" I don't feel well enough to attend a formal dinner," I mumbled under my breath in an attempt to weasel my way out of it.
" Well," Enid sighed," Since you're well enough to perform circus antics, then I believe you will survive dinner, just fine" Enid quipped glancing at me from the corner of her eye, smirking. That was enough to make me want to jump out of the moving car, when Enid abruptly stopped again, making me groan.
Her aggressive driving was making my heart run a thousand miles per hour.
Relief washed over me when the market came into view. I was speechless and failed to get out of a monotonous dinner with descendants of duchess's and duke's. That thought made me shrink in my seat.
I had forgotten how exhausting it was to shop with Enid. Even though she was effective and well-organised, she drained the life out of me as I followed her through the market like a lost puppy. Haggling left and right with the merchants so fast that at one point, I had given up on listening and just carried around the bags, which were getting heavier by the minute.
" Mason will be home earlier, tonight. We will have dinner in the dining room, for a change since we have esteemed guests. Harriet should be here shortly to help around." Enid said as I stuffed the bags in the small boot of her car.
" Alright. What do you need me to do," Since there was no way, I could get myself out of that sticky situation, might as well make myself useful, I thought.
" Right," Enid sighed, sullen," You can either help in the kitchen or get the dining room ready," Enid firmly added, a little on the edge. That made me even curiouser. If they went through all that trouble, who were the people joining us for dinner?
" I don't mind," I casually replied with a shrug, and climbed in the car, while Enid followed.
" Set up the dining room. Harriet and I will handle the cooking," Enid firmly added, making me miss the joyful Enid that I knew.
" I can do that," I replied smiling, but that quickly fell when I almost went through the chair when she put her foot on the acceleration. Christ, I doubted we would survive long enough to make it to dinner time. I prayed, for the first time in a very long time.
On the ride home, I revisited my happiest memories more often than I had wished. The constant angst, wondering if I'm going to make it alive in the short drive, made me break a sweat.
Heavily panting, I let go of the door handle when Enid finally pulled in front of the house. I had never been more grateful in my life to set foot on solid ground. It was a miracle that she was still alive, and she'd managed not to get anyone hurt each time she drove.
The smile on her lips did make me wonder if she purposely did it. Wryly smiling, I opened the trunk to unload the groceries onto the pavement, while Harriet made herself present in the doorway. I was quite surprised to see that Harriet was already there.
" Hello Harriet," I smiled as I climbed up the steps weighed down by the two heavy bags.
" Hi, Lily. How are doing? I haven't seen you in yonks" Harriet cheerfully said as she took one of the bags from my hand, making me wobble on my feet.
" I'm good. How are you?" I replied as I followed her into the foyer.
" I'm great. I got engaged, last week," She replied wiggling her hand in front of my nose, to show me the daintiest ring, and most beautiful engagement ring.
" Already?" I surprisedly asked since Harriet wasn't that much older than I was.
Humming," Well, when you know, you know," she casually replied as she placed the bags on the kitchen island, grinning, ear to ear.
" I was hoping to speak with Mr Kinnaird this evening. We need to save up for the wedding, and since Enid isn't well. I could do some more around here," Harriet began unpacking the groceries while I watched her, a little stunned.
" Sounds like a good plan," I mumbled under my breath. I had nothing. No plans. The only plan, I had, was to wait and see.
" I know," Harried cheerfully replied, as she pulled out a cookbook from one of the shelves, and began leafing through, as she glanced at the ingredients on the counter.
" I need to find Enid. I'm in charge of setting the dining room," I said as I turned on my heels while, Harriet nodded and smiled, engrossed in reading the cookbook.