The Secret of Drulea Cottage, Betwixt the Sea and Shore: Book 1

Cold As the Sea

"Nay, Mum, come back!" Briony shrieked as she awoke in a sweat. She jerked about in panic, wondering where her mother was.

But then the cold memory of Bethany's death pierced her mind, and she realized she had only been dreaming.

Briony got out of bed slowly, still reeling from the vividness of the dream: She was standing on the beach, staring up at Drulea Cottage high on the cliff. Suddenly, her mother's voice cried out, and Briony turned to see Bethany Fairborn a ways off in the sea, struggling to stay afloat. Briony went out to her, trying to reach her before she went under. But then an immense wave broke over Bethany, and she was gone.

Briony had been plagued by nightmares like these since Bethany's death almost a year before. Her mother had died from influenza, but strangely enough, Briony's dreams tended to center around water.

As she took a few deep breaths to steady herself, Briony's nostrils filled with the flowery aromas from outside. Normally, she could dismiss the painful nightmares after a few moments, but not so on this particular morning. An uneasy knot twisted within her stomach, refusing to uncoil even as she went about her normal routine. Briony tried to ignore it as she got ready for the day, but ignoring it only seemed to make it worse.

Perhaps 'tis because the anniversary o' her death is so close. I just need to think about something else. I suppose I'll go down and ask Adaira how that Mr. Mendes is doing.

Briony put on a pink dress and brown headscarf and headed out. As she meandered toward the inn, she could hear the sea echoing in her ears. Many emotions billowed up within her, and try as she might, the night she wanted to forget, the night her mother had passed, came to the forefront of her mind.

It had happened just before Johnsmas, the day when all of Everton reveled in the start of summer. In the past, this had been a time of celebration and mirth, but death's cold fingers had made that impossible for the Fairborn family that year. Briony had longed to embrace her ailing mother, or even just hold her hand, but that could have spread the illness, so she'd had to keep her distance. All she could do was watch as the woman grew weaker and weaker until she could barely lift her head from her pillow.

But even at the end, Bethany Fairborn had composed herself with a dignity and strength of character that few could attain. If only it hadn't been to make Briony promise something she knew she would regret.

"You must stay away from the water. . . ."

Briony didn't recall the strange sounds or the great storm her neighbors claimed there had been that night, but those words remained crystal clear. The urgency in her mother's voice as she'd made this final request had been all too familiar, for it was the same tone she'd always taken when discussing this topic. A topic they'd been fighting over for Briony's entire life.

No matter how much Briony had begged, bartered, and shouted, Bethany had steadfastly kept Briony from entering or going near the water. Even without ever having touched it, though, Briony's heart still beat to the rhythm of the waves. Her lungs still rejoiced in the salty air. Her eyes still brightened at every beauteous sunset, whose light danced across the water like a maiden in love.