na's

n the air, a poisonous fog. He's not just discarding m

. It's Mrs. Pennington. She has moved

t only for me. "Don't make this difficult. Just nod. For the famil

,his expression seemed incredibly displeased with my silence. He

n's arm, her belly pushed forward, the very pict

me crystallizes into something hard and

movement is small, but it feels like breaking

ut of the shadows and into the

give him the slightest of nods, not of agreement,

rder my soul in public. I let the silence stretch, savoring the panic t

I take a slow,

N

et, clear, and absolute. It cuts

lapped him. Mrs. Penningto

continue, my voice gaining stre

eps through the crow

ously step down' from a position I earned with my loyalty an

ere in ambushing your wife? What honor is there in bringing this... this mess..." I gesture

Old Lady is not a temporary position. It is not a thi

ot be a part of this farce. I will not be your

r? You can have her. But you don't get to have me too. Not as your wife

est for separation stands. And I want

ed silence. I have not only refuse

of pure hatred. She looks like

exposed as a liar and a coward

nd, I see pure, unadulterated fury in her e

t a low growl of ap

ade. Now I have to s

's right." "This is a disgrace." It's Vivian Carlisle and Eleanor Sinclair, two of the most