tie

omen trailing behind her. They had followed Anais'

scene in the pon

urve. A strange man, Pete, had his arms around her. In the water, their st

frantic thrashing made it look like she was figh

f disbelief. She nearly fainted. The person she had expe

d tearful confusion. "Mother! Look! I don't know what happened, sist

s vague, letting their imag

gan to whisper am

nger Miss Hamilton? What is she d

He looks like one

his is utterl

n, then to a shade of mottled purple. She whirled on me, her fi

streaming down my face. I was the perfec

could I harm my own sister? We were j

ined with my reputation as a timi

hauled a shivering Anais and

rray, makeup ruined. She threw herself

shed me!" Anais shrieked, poin

on the ground. "Mercy, my Lady! I was

her eyes burning with a venomous hat

away and give him a hundred lashes! And you, Jettie

uthority to bury the incide

ouldn't

ed about sister, but... but Pete was only trying to save her. And... and with so many ladies

nge. I had just reminded ever

ward. "Lady Elara, Jettie is right," she said with a frown. "This con

er for more drama, mu

that Jettie, the girl she had always controlled, would

ed the guards to lock Pete up for now and had ma

ted off the water, illuminating a sea of gloating faces. In the shadows, where

ley

hered around the pond, voices buzzing with scandal and excitement. I st

en I s

ng but a worthless stray, she had looked at

e crowd, I saw what no one else did. Behind t

raid. She was

h twitched. A low chu

a had grown te

lickered at the edge of my vision before I forced it down, but I could feel it-ancie