CHAPTER 6
Despite Brygida’s protests, Mama nearly dragged her from the manor house. They cut across snow-covered fields, their footsteps pressing deep tracks in the fresh snow, and Mama’s grip on her forearm didn’t loosen even once. Had she not seen the look of utter defeat on Kaspian’s face? He’d been devastated. She’d wanted nothing more than to wrap him in her embrace, provide the same sort of comfort Mama and Mamusia had always given her when she was sad.
She and Mama had an agreement, but that didn’t mean abandoning Kaspian in his time of need. “Mama, please, let me stay with him. He’s hurting, badly.”
“It’s not safe among the village right now.” Mama scrutinized the farmhouse they passed. “Didn’t you see how they looked at us?”
She’d seen, all right. The broken bit of hay remaine
