Her smile grew wry and then softened to something more sincere, taking a little of the edge of tension off. She was pleased to find Lena Scamander was no less candid now than she had ever been. Although Effie’s throat felt extremely dry at the unfinished question put to her: there was something worse in the unsaid. And never mind that the other woman may know enough about her to almost read her mind.
“No, nor Brooks nor I either,” Effie admitted freely, as if their introverted natures and fondness for hard work could ever be enough to explain the match. “But – yes. Getting married next weekend,” she answered, hoping her plain matter-of-factness would make the outcome seem the more settled, the more natural. At least the wedding itself would be modest and small, no grand occasion to weather. And she had always intended to marry, so she had been perfectly contented with her decision until the nerves had, in these final days, set in. “Better late than –” never, she had been going to say, but then Marlena was certainly still a Scamander after all these years, so that sounded horrible now, didn’t it?! Effie trailed off with another slightly pained smile.
“No, nor Brooks nor I either,” Effie admitted freely, as if their introverted natures and fondness for hard work could ever be enough to explain the match. “But – yes. Getting married next weekend,” she answered, hoping her plain matter-of-factness would make the outcome seem the more settled, the more natural. At least the wedding itself would be modest and small, no grand occasion to weather. And she had always intended to marry, so she had been perfectly contented with her decision until the nerves had, in these final days, set in. “Better late than –” never, she had been going to say, but then Marlena was certainly still a Scamander after all these years, so that sounded horrible now, didn’t it?! Effie trailed off with another slightly pained smile.
