The Chocolatier's Wife (17 page)

“Certaint
y
i
s
a
goo
d
thing,
”
sh
e
said
,
no
w
f
inall
y
allowe
d
t
o
si
t
up
.
Ceceli
a
bega
n
dr
y
in
g
an
d
combin
g
Tasmin’
s
hair
.

“I
s
it?
”
Sh
e
place
d
he
r
chi
n
o
n
Tasmin’
s
shoulder
.
“Yo
u
an
d
Willia
m
though
t
yo
u
wer
e
certai
n
abou
t
everythin
g
tha
t
woul
d
happe
n
next
.
He lai
d
everythin
g
ou
t
ste
p
b
y
ste
p
an
d
now
,
well
,
thing
s
aren’
t
s
o
certain anymore.
”

“Yo
u
soun
d
concerned.
”

“You
r
husban
d
i
s a
goo
d
man
.
H
e
di
d
m
e a
goo
d
turn.
”
Ceceli
a f
inished combin
g
an
d
bega
n
braiding
.
“
I
woul
d
no
t
se
e
hi
m
hange
d
fo
r
this nonsense.”

Tasmi
n
decide
d
thi
s
wa
s
a
s
goo
d
a
tim
e
a
s
an
y
t
o
chang
e
th
e
subject. “Ho
w
di
d
yo
u
mee
t
William?
”

Th
e
braidin
g
stopped
,
an
d
the
n
bega
n
again
,
slowe
r
thi
s
time
.
“
I
gre
w
u
p
nea
r
th
e
Stair
s
o
f
Alessyn
,
a
mountai
n
rang
e
tha
t
dominate
s
th
e
islan
d
o
f
Galubrey
.
I
wa
s
ma
r
rie
d
t
o
a
ver
y
borin
g
man
,
a
f
isherma
n
b
y
trade
,
an
d
I
wa
s
th
e
siste
r
o
f
a
shaman
.
Th
e
younges
t
sister
,
s
o
I
wa
s
o
f
n
o
account
.
I
hate
d
my life.
”
He
r
voic
e
wa
s
soft
,
distant
.
“Bu
t
I
hate
d
i
t
wors
e
whe
n
th
e
pirate
s
came
.
Man
y
f
led
,
bu
t
som
e
o
f
u
s
wer
e
to
o
clums
y
o
f
foo
t
t
o
manag
e
that
,
an
d
wer
e
captured.
”
Ther
e
wa
s
anothe
r
pause
.
“Anyway
,
ther
e
wa
s
nothin
g
lef
t
fo
r
me
. I
caugh
t
th
e
ey
e
o
f
hi
s
Firs
t
Mate
,
wh
o
neede
d
a
wife
,
an
d
whe
n
h
e
asked m
e
i
f I
woul
d
marr
y
him
, I
sai
d I
would
.
No
w I
a
m a
secon
d
tim
e
widowed; pe
r
hap
s
I
shal
l
giv
e
u
p
altogether
?
”

“
I
doub
t
i
t
ha
s
bee
n
a
s
eas
y
a
s
al
l
that.
”

“No
.
Peopl
e
tal
k
,
becaus
e
h
e
i
s
a
ma
n
an
d
I
a
m
beautifu
l
an
d
a
wido
w
an
d
fro
m
a
fa
r
awa
y
land
.
Al
l
things
,
yo
u
know
,
tha
t
mus
t
mea
n
I
a
m
utterl
y
withou
t
moral
s
o
r
sel
f
worth
,
aye?
”
Sh
e
picke
d
som
e
pin
s
u
p
an
d
coile
d
the braid
s
agains
t
Tasmin’
s
scal
p
an
d
pinne
d
the
m
neatly
.

“Peopl
e
ar
e
creature
s
o
f
envy
,
an
d
i
t
make
s
the
m
cruel.
”

“Whic
h
i
s
wh
y
i
t
doe
s
wel
l
no
t
t
o
giv
e
a
f
i
g
fo
r
wha
t
peopl
e
think,
”
Ceceli
a
sai
d
wit
h
certainly.

“Bu
t
sometime
s
yo
u
hav
e
to
.
I
kno
w
i
t
ha
s
alway
s
bee
n
William’
s
wa
y
no
t
t
o
care
,
bu
t
whe
n
on
e
own
s
a
stor
e
i
t
pay
s
t
o
care
,
ver
y
much.
”
Tasmin ros
e
an
d
straightene
d
he
r
clothes
.
“Well
.
Thi
s
plac
e
ha
s
bee
n
quit
e
neglected
.
Shal
l
w
e
begi
n
t
o
clean?
”

Chapter
8

Odtorio 26
th
,

Scarlet
Moon Quarter 1788