Half of Ruby

Chapter 21

"Please, take Lord Parris' seat. He will not be coming to lunch." 

Ember blinked, framed by the doorway of the dining room. The family had taken their places at the dining table, leaving one of the seven seats open for her. And of course it has to be Samuel Parris' seat. At the head of the table. 

She nodded, settling into the seat between Ronan and Susannah. "Yes...my Lady." 

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow at her. "You may call me Elizabeth." 

Because I'm Ronan's fiancee? The thought bounced around Ember's mind, infuriating her, like a poker aggravating a fire. Did she feel repulsed by that? Yes, but not overwhelmingly so. Did she hate Ronan and what he'd done? No, but the memories still brought on stabs of anger.  

So why am I not angry at him? 

It wasn't her so-called soft spot, with its weak knees and sweaty palms and blushing. It wasn't compassion or fear. 

No—it was something else. Something strong and proud and unyielding. 

A sense of duty. 

But why her? Why had he picked her to help him? 

She scowled at the fine silverware before her, ignoring Ronan fidgeting to her left and Susannah's eyes darting around to her right. Such fine silverware could provide enough money to raise ten families out of the depths of poverty. Such gleaming porcelain could—

"Um...Ember?" 

Ember jerked her head up, staring at Ronan. "What?"  

Elizabeth cleared her throat. Ember spun around, facing the lady of the household. Though Ember stood a head taller than Elizabeth, she shrunk under Elizabeth's narrowed green gaze. 

"I said," snapped Elizabeth, "how did you and Ronan meet? If you are to be my daughter-in-law, I'd like to know more about you." 

Ember swallowed down a mouthful of fear. 

It was Ronan who spoke. 

"Mother, we met in the Square a month ago. She was struggling to carry timber for her Coven. The wood nearly fell on my head, but by using her powers, she saved me." 

"She saved you," said Abigail. Her dark eyes bored into Ronan's unflinching hazel ones, knives to his armor of lies. "How romantic. And here I was, thinking that you were the one who saved her. Look at her—she can't even...talk...for herself." 

A chill ran down Ember's spine. She knows. She knows I'm lying. "I can talk for myself," she said, but only a whisper escaped her lips, as insubstantial as Susannah's ghost by her side. "And what Ronan said is true." 

"I helped her carry the timber back home," said Ronan. "Of course, I didn't go near the Coven. But she offered me payment for my help—the herbs that have helped heal Father so—"

"—Father's been eating witch drugs?!" 

Betty, silent until now, shot out of her seat. Her long golden hair whipped into the air like a fiery halo as she jabbed her finger at the space between Ronan and Ember. 

"How dare you," she seethed. 

"Betty, sit down," said Elizabeth. 

"But they've been feeding—"

"I'm not deaf, my dear," said Elizabeth, voice as cold as a winter night. "Sit down." She turned towards Ember, who swallowed down a mouthful of fear. "Ember. Is this true?"