get her with child, then he did her a service and died.”
My eyes flared wide at that candor. Whatever the hell I’d expected her to say, it wasn’t that. “I thought she’d have to remarry,” I mused hesitantly, not really making it a question but still wanting her to clarify.
Lavinia tapped her nose. “Had a good job, did Jimmy. Died at work, had a good insurance policy. Meant she could raise Genny in peace. Sure, there was chatter, but ain’t there always? She had a lot of interest, men wanting those legs of hers and that nice stockpile she had resting in the bank, but nope, Leggy refused.”
“What do you mean? Raise her in peace?”
“Without a man to get underfoot, of course.” She huffed again. “Men are nothing but walking heartbreaks, girl. Best you don’t forget that.” I pulled a face that had her reaching over and patting my hand. “I can see you already learned that lesson.” She sucked her teeth and made a smacking noise. “Did you break your chastity for him?”
The personal question took me aback, but also, it didn’t surprise me. Nanny had been beyond forthright, so it would make sense that her best friend was too.
“No, I didn’t,” I admitted, but there was no pride in my voice.
Could I say that if we’d had the opportunity, I wouldn’t have taken Adam up on it?
Only being able to see him in the mornings at the pool before school had been a better chaperone than a gaggle of Gypsy mothers watching over us, clucking in disapproval.
“Meaning you wish you had?”
My lips almost curved at her shrewdness. “Maybe.”
“What did he do?”
“Married someone else.”
“Marry?” Her brows rose. “He’s one of us?”
“No.”
“Is he your age?”
“Yes.”
“That’s young to get married for a Gadže.” She pursed her lips again—I was beginning to see why she had a hundred or so wrinkles about her mouth—before demanding, “Why didn’t he marry you?”
“I-I don’t know. We were going to—” And I knew that without even questioning it, our path had been written in the stars long before we’d met. “But something happened.” I sucked in a breath. “I-I don’t want to talk about it.”
Of course, she promptly ignored that. “How long ago did he get married?”
“Two years ago,” I whispered, the pain as raw as if it were yesterday.
“Two years, and you’re still in pain?” She shook her head. “Leggy mourned her love, even if I didn’t understand it. We all have our little talents, gifts that unite us to the motherland. Mine weren’t as advanced as Leggy’s. I knew about her healing, knew she could see things about a person just by looking at them. I also knew that her biggest gift and the worst curse was that she knew who her soulmate was.”
My eyes flashed at that, interest clawing at me. “Knew him?”
Lavinia dipped her chin. “Yes. Knew. They didn’t marry. He was already married. I thought for a while that your mother, Genny, was his child, but she wasn’t. Maybe if she’d been, things would have ended kinder for her.”
“She found her one,” I said miserably. “I just don’t understand how she could leave me behind.”
Lavinia tipped her head to the side as she stared at me. “Left you behind, child? What do you mean? Of course she did.”
My eyes flared wide. “Why do you say it like that? ‘Of course?’ There’s no ‘of course’ about it.”
Lavinia shook her head. “I don’t understand.”
“Me either,” I retorted waspishly.
Before I could let out some frustration, Allegria appeared with a tray loaded down with sandwiches and other home-baked treats. Quickly, I plucked the empty tray that sat between me and Lavinia and held it in my hands as her daughter placed it down before she snatched away the one in my grasp.
“Allegria isn’t one for talking,” Lavinia murmured as her daughter disappeared. “Takes after her boring father.”
My brows rose at that, and I tried not to laugh, but Lavinia caught the smile in my eyes.
“There’s a curious freedom in dying, child. All of a sudden, you can say what you want, do what you want. People forgive you your verbal sins.”
Curiosity had me asking, “Would you have talked to me if you weren’t dying?”
She tilted her head to the side. “Because of your momma’s sins?” I nodded. “Maybe not. Maybe I would, though, because I miss Leggy something fierce. Not knowing if she was alive or dead was a special kind of cruelty. Now, at least, I know she’ll be there waiting on me when