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After she left me, I believed my heart had fractured,
I could be brave, adventurous, and do hard things on my own.
Besides, this woman’s letter implied betrayal, and betrayal was why I began to dispense poisons in the first place—why I began to carry the secrets of these women, to record them in my register, to protect and aid them.
Heartache is shared by all, and favors no rank.
my poisons had never been used against a woman. Never. And so long as I lived, I would not knowingly agree to it.
looking inside wasn’t always comfortable.
Despite my grief, the new life inside of me gave me a great deal of hope.
Not everything in the world had given up its last breath, like my mother.
For every spell that goes right, there is something else—in the real, natural world—that goes terribly wrong.”
She had sworn she would live many more years. And yet she had died in only six days.
Why didn’t my mother tell me the truth and use her last days to prepare me for a lifetime alone?
Motherhood, and her own mother, had not yet been taken from her.
Everything placed unto the body removes something from it, calls it forth or represses it.
Why else would an unfaithful husband put himself in harm’s way? Perhaps he thought my concern for his physical well-being would trump my heartbreak; that my pity for him would expedite my forgiveness. It had almost worked, but not quite.
it was okay for friends to venture down different paths.
History doesn’t record the intricacies of women’s relationships with one another; they’re not to be uncovered.
TOM PEPPER’S HOT BREW To soothe the throat or otherwise ease a long day. 1.4 drachm (1 tsp) local raw honey 16 drachm (1 oz) scotch or bourbon ½ pint (1 cup) hot water 3 sprigs fresh thyme
BLACKFRIARS BALM FOR BUGS AND BOILS To subdue angry, itchy skin caused by insect bites. 1 drachm (0.75 tsp) castor oil 1 drachm (0.75 tsp) almond oil 10 drops tea tree oil 5 drops lavender oil
ROSEMARY BUTTER BISCUIT COOKIES A traditional shortbread. Savory yet sweet, and in no way sinister. 1 sprig fresh rosemary 1 ½ cup butter, salted 2⁄3cup white sugar 2 ¾ cup all-purpose flour Remove leaves from rosemary and finely chop (approximately 1 Tbsp or to taste). Soften butter; blend well with sugar. Add rosemary and flour; mix well until dough comes together. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Form dough into 1.25-inch balls; press gently into pans until 0.5-inch thick. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake for 10–12 minutes, just until bottom edges are
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