Tea, Lycanthropy and Other Virtues

Chapter Eighteen

"You are not stupid." He said firmly. "I believed in their friendship too."

"That proves nothing," she said with a tiny smile. "Perhaps we're both fools."

He laughed and then held his arm out to her and they began down the hall toward the stairs. He couldn't deny the fact that his skin tingled where her hand rested on his forearm. Or that he admired the way she spoke what was on her mind, or that she didn't pull away at his touch even though she'd witnessed the monster inside him.

"The worst of it is, a part of me misses Mary. How ridiculous." Her eyes were wet. "And I can't help but wonder if Edward knew anything about it. If he hadn't, perhaps I didn't need to uproot everyone, if he would have extended his protection—"

"Edward knew," Hugh said. Don't ever say I never gave you nothin nice, as if Constance were a vase. The wolf snarled. He very much wanted to rip the man's throat out.

"I see." She was quiet as they took the stairs.

"Perhaps it takes time," Hugh said as they neared the dining room. "It's alright, you know, take all the time you need. You're safe here Constance."

She met his eye. There was something quite earnest and unguarded in her gaze. He reached for her hand, the feeling that her touch would ease the ache in his chest. He stopped himself, cleared his throat, and stepped away from her.

"Shall we?" He inclined his head toward the door.

She nodded, a wall coming up to shield her.

You are a coward, he thought. But then he was protecting her just like he was protecting Hannah, wasn't he? Surely that was the right thing to do.

The dining room was glowing, candlelight glinting off the silverware and gold-rimmed wine glasses. Hannah was sitting at the head of the table. Constance's grandmother was telling her a story, and she was smiling in a way he hadn't seen since they'd been children, since before the change.

Something in his heart loosened.

Simon was sketching in a leather-bound journal, something Hugh's mother would never have allowed at the table. That, too, made his heart warm, to see the boy at home.

Constance's mother, a lovely woman, was staring at her plate vacantly.

"Constance, Hugh, come in," Hannah said.

Constance's mother looked up, her eyes widening. "You!" She said, launching to her feet, the vacancy replaced by such intensity Hugh took an involuntary step back. "I know what you are."

The room was quiet, the ticking of the filigreed mantle clock too loud.

"Mother," Constance warned.

"My brother is indeed a werewolf, Mrs. Allen. We make no secrets of it here," Hannah said as diplomatically as could be possible.

Constance traded a pleading look with her grandmother. Simon had gone preternaturally still.

"Hugh was gracious enough to let us stay here. Please sit down," Constance's grandmother said, her voice calm.

"I will not eat with a monster."

For all he knew what he was, hearing it from Constance's mother hit him hard. He could feel Constance trembling beside him.

"It's all right," he said softly, turning toward the door.

"Don't you dare," Constance said, freezing him in his tracks. "You sit down right now, Hugh Connor. This is your home, and I will not allow you to be bullied about by someone who should be grateful."

There was something so frightening in her voice he almost sat down right on the floor. "I don't mind leaving," he said instead.

She tipped her chin up and then turned her terrifying gaze on her mother.

"Father would be ashamed of you."

Mrs. Allen looked taken aback, her gaze flitting between him and her daughter.

"If you find it so distasteful to eat here among good people, then you may leave and go to the room that Lady Connor was so gracious to set aside for you."

Mrs. Allen swallowed and then waited. When Constance didn't budge, she sniffed. "I'm not feeling well, anyway." She threw a hurt look at Hannah. "Please excuse me."

She brushed past them with a barely concealed snarl at Hugh.

Everyone was still except Constance, who had her fists clenched so hard her knuckles had turned white.

"It really is alright," Hugh said to her. "I understand."

"It is not alright," she said, her voice trembling. "You are not the one who is a monster." She began rubbing her wrists absently. "I will not abide you or anyone saying otherwise."

"I'll have Annie take her up a plate of food," Hannah said.

The room seemed to exhale.

Hugh pulled a chair out for Constance. He'd feel better once she sat.

"I'm sorry for all of that," she said as she sunk down, her face still crimson.

Hugh sat next to her at the end of the table. Simon was watching his sister, his eyebrows furrowed.

"I let my emotions get the better of me," Constance said. "I'm tired, but that is no reason to be unseemly."

"We're Scottish," Hannah said. "All of our emotions are unseemly."

Hugh laughed into his wineglass.

"I'm sorry Simon," Constance said.

Her brother looked at the older Mrs. Allen. "May I be excused too?"

Constance's shoulders sagged.

"You may," Gran said. "But you need to thank Miss Connor for dinner."

"Thank you," he said with a furtive look at Hannah before he bolted from the room.

Constance studied her plate.

"With as much tension as there is in here, he would have spiraled soon," Mrs. Allen said to Constance.

"I know," Constance whispered.

Hannah met his eye across the table. There was no judgment in her gaze, just concern. Unsure of what to do, Hugh ate his soup. Hannah and Mrs. Allen followed suit.

"If you need us to find someplace different to stay," Constance said quietly, "I understand."

He could almost feel her shame and desperation. His throat squeezed in understanding. Shame was something he was intimately familiar with and it killed him that she should feel anything close to it.

"Nonsense," Hannah said with feeling. "This isn't anything we can't handle. You are safe here, Constance, and so is your family."

"She isn't liable to get more polite," Mrs Allen said. "I'm afraid her family instilled those prejudices deep."

"We will endeavor to show her a better truth then," Hannah said.

Hugh looked at his sister. When had she turned into such an incredible person?

"Thank you," he mouthed, giving her a small nod.

She nodded back, something knowing in her smile.