Even as she'd said it Henri had known she would not really be allowed to leave, but she'd thought that at least putting some space between herself and her mother and the man might diffuse the situation. If anything, it had done exactly the opposite. Mama's hand was on her arm in a way that Henrietta could still feel even through the dissociative haze she was beginning to slip into, which meant she must have been holding on tight. Mama holding onto her might have been alright — or if not alright, at least no more than she expected — if the man had taken the opportunity to extricate himself from the situation, but he did precisely the opposite. Why would he have drawn his wand? For a split second she could make no sense of it at all. She didn't feel any of her mother's apparent outrage at the situation, only confusion. Action was not in her nature, and in his shoes she would have fled. Henri considered briefly that he might have been about to apparate away — then in a flash recalled their last encounter, where he'd apparated her out of the tunnel before the water from the lake had crushed in around them both. It clicked into place then: he was trying to protect her.
Mama still had a grip on her arm, despite her attention being focused on him. Without knowing what she was doing or why, Henrietta suddenly pulled back and leaned all her weight to one side. Mama, who had not been expecting resistance (who would ever have expected resistance from Henrietta Cartwright?) lost her balance and stumbled to the side. She tried to catch herself but her feet weren't quick enough through all the layers of skirts, and in another second she was tumbling down the nearby stair off the edge of the boardwalk. She could easily have taken Henri with her, but fortunately had let go of the arm as she tried to catch herself, which left Henri in a perfect position to see her fall.
Her hand flew to her mouth and her eyes widened with shock. When her mother climbed back up to the boardwalk, she was going to murder Henrietta.
Mama still had a grip on her arm, despite her attention being focused on him. Without knowing what she was doing or why, Henrietta suddenly pulled back and leaned all her weight to one side. Mama, who had not been expecting resistance (who would ever have expected resistance from Henrietta Cartwright?) lost her balance and stumbled to the side. She tried to catch herself but her feet weren't quick enough through all the layers of skirts, and in another second she was tumbling down the nearby stair off the edge of the boardwalk. She could easily have taken Henri with her, but fortunately had let go of the arm as she tried to catch herself, which left Henri in a perfect position to see her fall.
Her hand flew to her mouth and her eyes widened with shock. When her mother climbed back up to the boardwalk, she was going to murder Henrietta.
