Her Graceful War Song (Carissa Sinclair)

Back in their room, Viola was busy with some needlework. After her previous outburst, she had settled down quite a bit.

Barrett nervously informed her that he had given Amelia the authority of the household.

Viola shot him an annoyed look. “It should have been handed over to her in the first place. Not to mention, I’m pregnant now. Even if I weren’t, I shouldn’t be managing the household.”

Barrett let out a small sigh of relief. He sat down and looked at her. “Needlework is hard on the eyes. You really shouldn’t be doing it. Let Mom and the others handle it. I remember Poppy is good at sewing too. You can give it to her.”

“As a mom, I need to make a few things for the baby,” Viola replied, her face lighting up with a gentle smile. “Besides, even though there are three of you receiving salaries, it’s not easy to support a whole family. Mother still needs her medicine, so it’s better to save wherever we can.”

didn’t really

could

Barrett was puzzled by her sudden concern for frugality. Having servants do the needlework connect to saving money. But as long as she wasn’t upset and there were no conflicts at home, go on smoothly..

He didn’t aspire to great achievements anymore. He simply wanted a peaceful household and to keep his position.

“You came home early today, which is good. There are a few things we need to discuss. Now that my pregnancy is progressing, we need to find a wet nurse and we must hire the best midwife. Childbirth is always a perilous journey. You’ve heard about Lady Legna’s difficult labor, right? We need to head to Arcane Sanctum and stock up on some medicine. While we’re at it, we can buy Snowdrop Pills for Mother.

Barrett nodded, understanding the dangers involved in childbirth. “Sure. What’s the name of the medicine? I can pick it up on my way home tomorrow.”

“It’s called Evergreen Pills. It’s made from Evergreen Root and donkey–hide gelatin mixed with pain- relieving herbs. Get about seven or eight of them. If the pain becomes too intense during my labor and I start to lose strength, these pills will be the best remedy.”

“Okay, I’ll get them tomorrow. As for the midwife and the wet nurse, I’ll ask Amelia for help. She might know someone, or Aunt Charlotte might be able to assist.”

“Aunt Charlotte?” Viola scoffed. “I wouldn’t count on her. She doesn’t involve herself in household matters anymore. If she had a place of her own, she would have moved out long ago. Even with your promotion, she still looks down on you. I have no idea where she gets her confidence. No one in her branch of the family has accomplished anything.”

Barrett sighed. Viola knew that Charlotte was upset with his side of the family because of what happened. to Carissa.

“It’s not entirely her fault. Back then, our family was dealing with one mess after another. She’s a straightforward person, so she got angry with us because of it. Now that things have calmed down, I believe she would be willing to lend a hand.”

“No need! I wouldn’t bother her even if I needed help,” Viola replied, her tone a little irritable.

Noticing the anger creeping into her voice, Barrett decided not to push the issue. “Alright, then. If your don’t want her help, we can ask Amelia instead.”

“I know I’m putting her out too, but once I have the baby, I’ll make sure to thank her properly.” Viola set down her needlework and stood up, stretching her back. “By the way, your salary has increased significantly, and there’s an additional bonus at the end of the year. You should give a third of it to the family fund and leave the rest for me to manage.

Barrett paused, surprised. “If Amelia is managing the household, then my entire salary needs to go i the family fund as well. Dad and Benjamin’s salaries go there too.”

into

Viola understood that Barrett wanted to take care of his family, but having a child changed things. She took a deep breath and said patiently, “Isn’t it enough that they contribute to it? We need to set aside some money for the baby. We can’t give everything to Amelia. What will we do when we need money ourselves?”

“Amelia gives us our monthly allowance, and anything the baby needs can be drawn from the family fund. The child’s food and clothes are given extra consideration.”

Viola was upset. “You have the highest salary, with an annual salary of 138 silver coins. Including your food allowance and year–end bonus, you’re bringing in 200 or 300 silver coins a year. Your father and brother’s salaries don’t even add up to 200 silver coins, Why should I put up with this? That won’t work.”

Barrett frowned. “So, what do you want me to do? We can’t just have Amelia manage the household without giving her any money.”

“Who says we’re not giving her any money? I told you to give her a third of your salary,” Viola shot back.

“How can a third be enough to cover the expenses? Besides, I’ve already promised her that I’d give her the money. If that’s not enough, we might need to sell off some servants. It should save some money if we’re not keeping so many people under our roof.”

Viola sneered. “Sell off servants? That’s something only desperate families do. You’ve been promoted and now want to sell off servants? If word of that got out, what would people think?”

Barrett could feel the tension rising again, and the flicker of hope for a harmonious home was suddenly extinguished.