A Search for Balance

Chapter 23 - The Seed of Doubt

That her enforced break from Quidditch was taking her away from her teammates suited Matthew just fine. He had always known that Skye Parkin and her likes were trouble, but that they would go as far as goading her into trying to end their relationship, even Matthew hadn't foreseen. The thought filled him with anger. If it wasn't for Skye and her meddling, everything would still be on track.

What had happened between Lizzie and her ex-boyfriend was unfortunate, but Matthew was confident that she had learned her lesson. She would soon see that Matthew only had her best interest at heart. He loved her, after all.

Lizzie had finally stopped fretting about her new bandages and was helping herself to some breakfast. Matthew raised his eyebrows at her full plate, so she put it down with an irritated noise.

"What?"

"Do you really want to eat all this?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"It's your fault you were late. We have people to meet."

Lizzie pulled a face. "More wedding stuff?"

"No, not more wedding stuff," came Matthew's cool reply. "There's still a lot to do before New Year's Eve. You're going to need a new dress, too."

"I have plenty of dresses."

"I don't want to fight you on this."

"You started it."

Matthew sighed deeply. "Just go and get ready, please."

Lizzie's look was acidic. "Can I have my coffee, at least?"

"Suit yourself," Matthew said with a defeated gesture of his hand.

The angry clanking of Lizzie's teaspoon against the sugar bowl was interrupted when Dede reappeared, carrying a silver tray with a stack of letters, which she handed to Matthew with a bow.

"The post has arrived, Master Matthew."

Matthew flicked through the letters after Dede had left, sorting them into business matters, private things, and those addressed to Lizzie. He paused briefly when his eyes fell onto an envelope with unfamiliar handwriting. It had Lizzie's name on it, and when he was sure that she wasn't looking, Matthew quickly put it between two letters from the Ministry and onto his business stack.

Lately, more and more offers from other clubs had begun rolling in, and Matthew took care that they landed on his desk instead of Lizzie's. He had never told her about the offer from Montrose, and considering the fuss she'd made the last time he had accidentally opened her post, it would remain that way. He didn't need her interfering with his work; she had done enough damage to her career for a while.

Putting the letters from her parents and grandmother onto the newest copy of Which Broomstick?, he handed everything to her.

"Here you go, dear. You may want to go through them when we're back, though."

"Whatever," Lizzie said, leaving with her coffee and her post to finally get changed. Once she had gone, Matthew pulled out the unknown letter and opened it. It was from one Katriona Cassiopeia, a former Beater of the Caerphilly Catapults and friend of Lizzie's, if he recalled correctly.

Upon reading what Katriona had written, Matthew's scowl turned into a satisfied smirk. Orion Amari was spending his Christmas with Katriona and her husband and seemed to be incredibly disheartened about Lizzie's return to her rightful place by Matthew's side.

The fact that Lizzie had broken ties with Orion contented Matthew, but Katriona Cassiopeia was a variant he hadn't foreseen. He didn't quite know what to make of her; she seemed to be a woman with strong ideas and ever stronger tendencies to voice them, something that could prove problematic in the long run.