hungry. Let’s go get you to breakfast.” Thomas scooped Sarah back up and ushered the girls to the door, over Emma’s objections. “We need to let Quinn eat her breakfast, too.”
She watched Thomas disappear through the door with the girls, wondering why he had only allowed them into the room so briefly. She wondered exactly where the little girls believed she was from. Another kingdom? How much did they know? Why was Thomas so vague with them?
Of course, as little as the girls seemed to know, Quinn realized that she knew even less. She had no idea where she was or how she had gotten here. What did Thomas mean about her being stuck here? A thrill of panic ran through Quinn ... what did he mean about her being stuck here? She was going to be able to go home, wasn’t she? For the first time, the situation started to feel extremely real, and anxiety overtook her.
Thomas was only gone for a couple of moments, but it was long enough for Quinn to have been alone for too long. When he re-entered the room, Thomas found her in a ball on the couch, tears running down her face.
“Hey, what’s going on?” Thomas rushed across the room to her.
“What’s going on? That’s what I would like to know! What is going on? Where am I? How did I get here? How am I going to get home? When am I going to get home? I am going to be able to go home, aren’t I? Am I ?”
Thomas looked a bit taken aback by Quinn’s outburst, but he recovered quickly, “ It’s okay, Quinn. Calm down. Yes, you are going to be able to go home.”
Her breathing slowed a bit at Thomas’ calm reassurance, but the room still felt like it was spinning.
He studied her for a second, and then laid his hand gently in the middle of her back. “It’s going to be okay. Why don’t you come take a walk with me?” He helped her up, and guided her gently to the door.
“A walk? I want to know what’s going on here, not go for a walk!”
Thomas’ voice was calm and patient. “I will explain it to you. I promise. You can ask me any question you like. I just think that fresh air and privacy would both be helpful, okay?”
Quinn took a deep breath, thinking it over, and then nodded.
When they got into the hallway, Thomas turned to her. “Let’s sneak you out quietly and give you a chance to think without the rest of my family bombarding you with their curiosity.”
She nodded, and started to wipe her tears on her sleeve, but Thomas was too fast for her, pulling a soft, white handkerchief out of his pocket and handing it to her. He led her down the hallway, all the way to a wooden door at the end. He opened it, and they stepped inside.
It was a stairwell, she realized. They were on a landing in a stairwell. A curving staircase rose above them, and dipped down below. Morning sunlight slanted in through arched windows near each floor. Thomas led her quickly down two flights of stairs, and then pressed his ear against the door on the landing. Quinn heard him mutter something, but she couldn’t make it out; it almost sounded like an expletive.
“What?”
He looked abashed, “Sorry. It’s just that I hear some of my brothers and cousins in there, and I don’t think we want to run into them right now. Fortunately for you, I have a few more tricks up my sleeve than that.” He grinned and pulled her down the last flight of stairs, and through the door at the bottom.
Now they were standing in a long, curving hallway. The plain, stone floor here stood in sharp contrast to the polished marble of the upper floor, though it was swept and neat.
“Where are we?” she whispered to Thomas.
“Near the kitchens; these rooms are storage areas.” Thomas wasn’t whispering here. They walked along the corridor, and then through another wooden door into a room that must have been an enormous pantry. Cupboards and shelves lined the walls, filled with vegetables and sacks of flour and other grains. Thomas led her quickly through here, and paused by the
She watched Thomas disappear through the door with the girls, wondering why he had only allowed them into the room so briefly. She wondered exactly where the little girls believed she was from. Another kingdom? How much did they know? Why was Thomas so vague with them?
Of course, as little as the girls seemed to know, Quinn realized that she knew even less. She had no idea where she was or how she had gotten here. What did Thomas mean about her being stuck here? A thrill of panic ran through Quinn ... what did he mean about her being stuck here? She was going to be able to go home, wasn’t she? For the first time, the situation started to feel extremely real, and anxiety overtook her.
Thomas was only gone for a couple of moments, but it was long enough for Quinn to have been alone for too long. When he re-entered the room, Thomas found her in a ball on the couch, tears running down her face.
“Hey, what’s going on?” Thomas rushed across the room to her.
“What’s going on? That’s what I would like to know! What is going on? Where am I? How did I get here? How am I going to get home? When am I going to get home? I am going to be able to go home, aren’t I? Am I ?”
Thomas looked a bit taken aback by Quinn’s outburst, but he recovered quickly, “ It’s okay, Quinn. Calm down. Yes, you are going to be able to go home.”
Her breathing slowed a bit at Thomas’ calm reassurance, but the room still felt like it was spinning.
He studied her for a second, and then laid his hand gently in the middle of her back. “It’s going to be okay. Why don’t you come take a walk with me?” He helped her up, and guided her gently to the door.
“A walk? I want to know what’s going on here, not go for a walk!”
Thomas’ voice was calm and patient. “I will explain it to you. I promise. You can ask me any question you like. I just think that fresh air and privacy would both be helpful, okay?”
Quinn took a deep breath, thinking it over, and then nodded.
When they got into the hallway, Thomas turned to her. “Let’s sneak you out quietly and give you a chance to think without the rest of my family bombarding you with their curiosity.”
She nodded, and started to wipe her tears on her sleeve, but Thomas was too fast for her, pulling a soft, white handkerchief out of his pocket and handing it to her. He led her down the hallway, all the way to a wooden door at the end. He opened it, and they stepped inside.
It was a stairwell, she realized. They were on a landing in a stairwell. A curving staircase rose above them, and dipped down below. Morning sunlight slanted in through arched windows near each floor. Thomas led her quickly down two flights of stairs, and then pressed his ear against the door on the landing. Quinn heard him mutter something, but she couldn’t make it out; it almost sounded like an expletive.
“What?”
He looked abashed, “Sorry. It’s just that I hear some of my brothers and cousins in there, and I don’t think we want to run into them right now. Fortunately for you, I have a few more tricks up my sleeve than that.” He grinned and pulled her down the last flight of stairs, and through the door at the bottom.
Now they were standing in a long, curving hallway. The plain, stone floor here stood in sharp contrast to the polished marble of the upper floor, though it was swept and neat.
“Where are we?” she whispered to Thomas.
“Near the kitchens; these rooms are storage areas.” Thomas wasn’t whispering here. They walked along the corridor, and then through another wooden door into a room that must have been an enormous pantry. Cupboards and shelves lined the walls, filled with vegetables and sacks of flour and other grains. Thomas led her quickly through here, and paused by the
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