Apparently, I'm the Infamous Earl's Legendary Bride

Book 1: A Girl in Another World - Chapter 8

Quinn

Maria and Liam didn't return home until it was dark, looking exhausted, as usual. Maria made a fuss when she saw me hovering about at the door and all but slapped me on the butt and dragged me into bed while Liam reprimanded me for not looking after myself.

The cottage was very dimly lit, with a single candle and the fireplace going. I had to squint to make anything out, and once dinner was ready, I made a move to get out of bed. Of course, Maria wouldn't let me. Hence, I ended up propped with pillows—borrowed from Liam's and Maria's herself to add to the comfort—and sipping on runny soup and eating very hard rye bread with cheese.

Once again, there was no taste of any sort, and I thought about the delicious fruits I had picked earlier. I couldn't wait to share those with them.

Hold on! I couldn't possibly brazenly summon my storage magic circle right in front of Maria and Liam and bring out the fruits, could I? If I were to do so, I'd be practically screaming I had been blessed.

No, I couldn't do that, at least not yet. It'd scare the bejesus out of them. Furthermore, they'd questioned how I, as Quinn Fairchild, would have gotten the blessing when they knew Quinn had not been blessed. At least I couldn't explain that without having to tell them I was not Quinn. Besides the fact that only those of pure noble bloodline had ever been blessed, and when they did, they usually showed signs during their childhood years, between the age of ten and thirteen, and I was certainly neither ten nor thirteen.

I sighed, feeling disappointed. The sharing of delicious fruits would have to be another day then.

Once dinner was over, Maria settled herself beside me on the hard, cramped bed. She wrapped her arms around me as she said, "It feels like ages since I last cuddled you. I promised not to since I might hurt you, what with you having bruises and broken ribs and such, but seeing as you're so much better now, I honestly cannot help myself." She snuggled her face against my hair. "You're so warm and cute, Quinn."

I resigned to being squeezed in Maria's arms like a beloved teddy bear, and said, "Mother is taking longer than usual."

"Perhaps they are still dining?" Liam said. He meant the pigs up there, I supposed.

"This late?" I frowned.

"I have to agree it is getting late," Maria said. "Shouldn't we—"

Loud, furious knocking came at the door, and I looked at Liam. Alarmed, Liam hastily got up from his seat and went over to open it. Mrs. Ross came rushing in, her face flushed and eyes darting about the cottage before they came to rest on me.

"What's the matter, Mrs. Ross?" Liam asked, shutting the door.

From Quinn's memory, Mrs. Ross was the housekeeper at Bedford Manor, and she and Elizabeth were close. It had always been Mrs. Ross, too, who had looked after Elizabeth, and more so, Quinn, when either of them was in trouble. She'd brought around leftover food from Bedford Manor to feed Quinn since she was always starving.

Mrs. Ross said, "It's Beth."

Noting the apprehension in her voice, I unwrapped Maria's arms from around me and got out of bed. Mrs. Ross rushed over to me and grabbed my hands into hers. "Quick, you must leave at once."

"Leave?" I asked, astounded, not just at her words, but at her flustered, frightened voice, too. "What's going on?"

"Quinn, you must leave at once," she repeated.

"Why would I have to do that?" I asked.

"Because Beth, she..."

"Mrs. Ross, what is going on?" Liam asked.