His For Christmas (11 page)

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Authors: Fiona Shin

BOOK: His For Christmas
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Slowly,
she
opened
her
eyes
and
found
herself
staring
at
a
white
silken
canopy,
much
like
the
one
she
slept
under
back
home,
back
in
a
place
she
was
no
longer
welcome.
An
older
woman,
her
graying
wispy
hair
coming
free
from
the
bun
at
the
nape
of
her
neck,
leaned
forward
into
Ivy

s
view.
There
seemed
to
be
flour
on
her
dark
woolen
shoulders,
as
well
as
a
smudge
of
it
on
her
high
cheekbones
that
looked
decidedly
non--European.

Are
you
awake,
then?
How
do
you
feel?

There
was
a
soft
pulsing
of
heat
along
her
temple
and
Ivy
raised
a
hand,
encountering
a
thick
bandage
right
on her
hairline.

I
…”
She
turned
her
head
slowly
and
locked
eyes
with
a small boy, freckles sprinkled liberally over his thin features.

You
had
a
wicked
lump
on
your
head,

said
the
boy
in
a
matter--of--fact
voice.

That
would
be
the
sack
of
potatoes.

Potatoes?
She
remembered
the
tall,
skinny
bookseller
who
forced
her
from
the
relative
warmth
of
the
establishment

s
doorstep.
The
woman
pushed
her
down
the
three
stairs
onto
the
street

she
ran
into
something
hard,
bounced
off
and
then

Then?
She
shook
her
head
and
immediately
regretted
doing
so,
as
a
sudden
wave
of
pain
flashed
across
her
eyes.
With
a
small
cry,
she
closed
her
eyes
for
a
moment,
hoping
it
would
help.
It
did
help,
although
not
much.

Are
you
in
pain?

asked
the
older
woman,
the
one
who
smelled
like
flour
and
lemon
verbena.
The
smell
was
so
familiar,
so
reminiscent
of
Mrs.
Brown,
it
brought
a
lump
to
her
throat
and
she
felt
hotness
at
the
corners
of
her
eyes.
The
scent
of
lemons
came
closer.

Oh,
my.
Is
it
that
bad,
dear?

Ivy
shook
her
head
again,
this
time
slower
and
more
carefully.

Not
at
all.
What

what
…”

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