Cordelia paused, unsure if the stones had any real value.
While she was pondering, a voice came through, "Just take it. It'll only get lost again if it stays with him."
It was Everard, stepping in from the backyard, fresh from a shower, his hair still damp, a mist of water lingering on his skin. Cordelia remembered his habit of early morning jogs and didn't think much of it.
Bill, hearing Everard's input, quickly added, "Sis, please take it. It's not worth much, just a few old rocks!"
So, they were just stones.
Cordelia knew some gems could be quite valuable, but then there were stones that looked nearly the same, these bits of red and green, even some clear ones, hardly distinguishable from regular rocks. She accepted them.
Soon after, a soft sound reached her ears, and looking down, she noticed the ring that had been on Bill's finger had rolled to the ground.
Cordelia pointed, "Your ring..."
Bill glanced down, quickly bending to pick it up, "Oh no, not again. Lucky you saw it, sis, or that'd be more money down the drain!"
Cordelia was puzzled.
What did he mean by that?
Was losing money a common occurrence for him?
Cordelia couldn't help but smirk.
Then, Bill turned to her, "Sis, you interested in making some cash?"
Cordelia was taken aback.
Before Bill could continue, Everard stepped between them, nodding towards the table, "Let's eat."
Bill obediently took the breakfast Cordelia had in hand and set the table.
Everard commented, "He's got a knack for business, and luck on his side when it comes to making money. But, he's got one flaw."
Cordelia, curious, asked, "What's that?"
Everard replied, "...His hands are too loose; money just slips through."
Cordelia was confused once more.
After setting up breakfast, Bill, with a hearty, rough accent, said, "Sis, I'm just careless, like with the ring. If it weren't for you, it'd be gone again!"
As Cordelia sat down, Bill exclaimed, "Hey, where did that ring go?"
Cordelia was baffled.
Looking at Bill's hands, the ring was indeed missing again, vanished without a trace.
Bill seemed used to it, sighing, "Oh well, I'll get another."
The conversation was dropped, and they began to eat. Bill ate heartily, stuffing buns into his mouth with loud chews, "This breakfast is amazing! No wonder Everard never went back, choosing to loaf around here instead!"
At that, Everard gave him a look, and Bill immediately shut up.
Cordelia glanced at Everard.
Go back... Where?
She realized she knew very little about Everard, like where he came from, or if his parents were still around. Everard was an enigma. They had been together for over four months, yet she knew almost nothing about him.
After breakfast, Bill asked Cordelia, "Sis, what do you like? I'll buy it for you."
Cordelia thought for a moment, "Shakespearean puzzles."
Bill was perplexed.
"Da Vinci's notebooks."
"?"
"Also, if there's an English dictionary for chemical terms, that'd be good."
"..."
"The Weekly Mathematician, I want all issues."
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