Half of Ruby

Chapter 37

"Refreshments! Where's the refreshment order? I swear I left it here!" 

"Thomas! Hand me the cleaning cloth, will you?" 

"Has anybody seen the refreshments order? The sheet of paper with all the food?" 

"Search for it under the table—"

"—I have! Look—it's not—"

Ember prodded her slice of cornmeal as the family bickered behind her, the door to the ballroom blasting forth a swirl of commotion. Alone in the dining room while the five others struggled to prepare for the event that evening, she couldn't bring herself to eat. 

Betty and Susannah stormed out of the ballroom, which occupied a space one hundred by one hundred paces before the living room. 

"Susannah, did you—"

"—I didn't!" squeaked Susannah, and Ember couldn't resist staring at the wisp of a girl as she spoke. "I swear, I didn't lose the—"

Betty's nostrils flared as her glare rested upon Ember. Susannah's eyes flickered to her before darting away. Ember swallowed down a mouthful of cardboard cornmeal before the two young women stormed away. 

Ball or not, Abigail's death still hung over the family like a cloud pregnant with destruction. 

"You. Girl. Have you seen the refreshments order?" 

Ember spun around, fork dropping against her plate as Thomas glared at her. 

"Sorry, what?" 

"The refreshments order!" Thomas' normally cool facade vanished as he spat at her. "You must have something to do with it. I want you to find the refreshments order!" 

"I don't know where it is." 

"We don't, either, and since you have so much time to spare, go find it." 

Thomas stormed back into the ballroom, hazel eyes ablaze, as Ember stood up, staggering against the dining table. 

Refreshments order? 

Where was she supposed to find that? 

"Never mind!" came another voice. "Ignore what he just said." Ronan shoved into the dining room as two hired men struggled past with a chandelier. "I think it's found." 

"Sorry, the refreshments order?" 

"Yes, what else? Can you go and send it to the square?" 

"Why not use your own cook?" 

Ronan stared at her, passing her a cream-colored paper with the word Refreshments on it. "One person can't make food for two-hundred, even if she takes an entire day." 

"Hire more." 

"No—we've already settled on the plan. Send the order to the square." 

Ronan vanished back into the beehive of commotion as Ember picked up the paper, staring at the words. This was the exact same form she'd seen yesterday. 

Downing her glass of milk, she grabbed the order and headed out the door, the cool morning air a welcome break from the commotion inside the house. 

Her encounter with Ronan still left her reeling, as though he'd slapped her across the face and vanished into nothing. Taking a deep breath, she crossed her arms over her chest and started down the street. 

Her gown, borrowed from Abigail's, swished across her forelegs as she stepped down the streets. Pale pink, with a ribbon around the waist, obviously considered fashionable years ago but attracting only glares now.