Swapped Fate

7: Hidden Truths and Flaring Tempers.

"Wait, so you're not her daughter?" I pointed out in surprise.

I had sat down to have the scrumptious and generous breakfast. I eyed the sausage and bacon specifically, because I didn't get to taste meat often back at home. It was ironic, since I had worked as a butcher on a number of occasions. Lea chose to keep me company. My inquiry to know her husband led her to inform me that it was Trissy's older brother, Adrian, and that the Madam only had those two as children.

Lea shrugged her shoulders. "Simply her daughter-in-law."

"Well, I could've sworn that--" I recalled their interactions. "What I mean is, from the way she relates with you so affectionately and you calling her mother..."

Lea gave me a warm smile. "She treats me like her daughter. And she insisted I call her mother. You'll understand once you're married."

"Oh no." I shook my head, lowering my doughnut. "No no no, I am not marrying that rude punk Trissy."

I knew I should call him Sir Trissy or Mister Trissy, but I couldn't care less. He didn't deserve my courtesy, and I certainly wouldn't give it in his absence.

Lea laughed. A sweet, sonorous sound. "His name is actually Tristan."

She noticed my confusion and went on to explain, "Trissy is a nickname mother gave him. She gives everybody nicknames, just like she gave you Mae and me Lea. My full name is Azalea."

"Oh." I frowned, a bit disappointed that the fiend didn't actually have a comical name. I could have enjoyed myself a great deal with that one.

I finished my doughnut in the next bite. "Well, what's your husband's nickname?"

Her lips twitched as she tried not to smile. "Addy."

My burst of a laugh nearly got chewed doughnut everywhere. "Trissy and Addy? Nicely done, Madam Felicity!"

"Yes, her nicknames make them seem a lot less intimidating than they are - maybe you shouldn't talk with your mouth full."

Her slight grimace as I ate had not gone unnoticed by me. Then again, I couldn't blame her. She was a proper missus who ate with elegance and table manners while I was a nobody that grabbed everything with my fingers and stuffed my face.

But I needed to take advantage of good food in plenty while it lasted. Besides, she already knew my roots so I didn't have to pretend.

"Don't worry," I said to her. "You don't have to stand me for much longer."

She released a sad sigh. "Mavis..."

"I swear I won't get married to him," I declared.

The words he said to me when I woke up dinged in my brain and chills ran up my arm. Restlessness had overcome me on account of his lewd accusations, and anger was a constant at his unpleasant comments about it. And yet I was in disarray because I still couldn't remember at all what had happened to me last night. I was experiencing a mixture of emotions which could only be sorted if I discovered the actual truth.

"Tell me, Lea." I turned to her as she refilled my glass with more of that delicious juice. Watermelon and pineapple, it was.

"Hm?" she hummed, her attention on the action she was doing.

"Is your brother-in-law a pathological liar perhaps?" I questioned. "Or is he into the habit of toying with other people's emotions -most especially women?"

Worry crossed her features. "Is this because of what mother said earlier? You know, about...more than twenty times over?"

"Maybe," I replied. "But I must know the truth so if you know anything at all please tell me. What happened last night?"