𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗘 | 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐰 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝

𝟗: 𝐑𝐎𝐁𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐒

"𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒂 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒂 𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒛𝒊𝒏𝒆. 𝑮𝒐𝒅 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒔 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓"

♛

"You care for her, don't you?" Dahlia whispered to Christopher as they left the library. They were all heading to the drawing room. Christopher looked at her and nodded, almost as if he were realizing himself. "I believe so," he replied.

Dahlia smiled so widely she thought her face would fall off. "What she has done, it is horrible, truly vile, Chris. But you are correct, she was but a child it was all she knew. She was scared. She had no right, but she did not have a choice either. That is something I understand. If you do truly care for her, then I shall care for her like she is my sister, Chris, I promise you that."

Christopher smiled at her, and Dahlia felt like everything was going to be okay.

                                                  

"Bloody Kit," said Matthew. "When did you get to be so insightful? I thought you were only supposed to be good at putting the contents of one test tube into another test tube and saying, 'Eureka!' "

                   

"That is most of it," Christopher agreed. They were in the drawing room, Matthew having had an inexplicable aversion to the idea of retreating to the games room after their long session in the library. In the end, nothing specific had been decided, exactly, but it was clear James felt much better than he had. He had been able to smile with a lightness that Dahlia had long ago thought gone with his first year at the Academy. Everyone had pledged unwavering support for anything James might choose to do, and of course undying secrecy. James would tell his family, he said when they returned from Idris; he had not made up his mind about anything else, but he did not need to now. There was time to consider things.

                   

"And let me say it is lovely, James," Ari had said, as they were all standing up, "to see you so happy with Cordelia. A true case of real love winning out."

                                                  

James and Cordelia had both looked faintly embarrassed, if pleased.

Dahlia found Matthew in the crowd and leaned up to whisper, "Do you think we ought to tell them now?"

Matthew looked at her, his green eyes shimmering with such adoration it startled her. "If you think it is right, my love, and we shall."

Dahlia nodded to herself. "Most in this room know, but not all of the people important to both of us, jaan, if you wish to tell james separately, then you can."

Matthew shook his head, "I will talk to him privately later, we could go from each of them and tell them."

Dahlia nodded, "Yes, that is a good plan."

Matthew took her hand leading them to Thomas. "Thom!" Matthew called. Thomas looked at them, glancing at Christopher briefly. "Math, yes?"

Dahlia walked to Thomas and stood on her toes to whisper, but she still came about an inch short, leading to Thomas having to lean down a bit. "I am with child." she whispered. Thomas' eyes widened for a whole second before a smile broke out. "Congratulations, to both of you."

He engulfed Dahlia in a hug that made her feel warm down to her bones. It was the first time in a long time that she felt as though she belonged.

Matthew grinned. "Name suggestions will be taken now. Nothing of the sort Anna's been suggesting."