Chapter 40
Morning arrived with steady rain tapping against the townhouse windows, turning the world beyond the glass into shifting shades of gray. Grandma declared it perfect weather for baking, while Grandpa insisted it was ideal for staying indoors with a newspaper and another cup of tea. Wren announced that she needed to go out anyway, prompting a pair of skeptical looks that lingered just long enough to suggest neither grandparent believed her errand had much to do with necessity and everything to do with the notebook tucked beneath her arm. Brielle lingered over a second cup of tea, watching raindrops race one another down the windowpane. The market would be quieter in weather like this. Tourists tended to stay away when the rain settled in, leaving the streets to shopkeepers, neighbors, and t
- Writer
