RIDDLE

and Patricia were sputtering, their faces flushed with impotent rage. Carson looked

in the air, glit

rious, cut through the tension. "You

way to the front of the room. She was a spoiled,

hetic little merchant you are!" she sn

nded, but his voice lacked its us

g to let her speak to our family this way? This... nothing

brother, was a low blow, even for her. A wave o

rsonal space. "You are nothing," she hissed, her face inches from mine. "My brother is only keepin

Eleanor warned from her cha

her hand and shoved me hard in the shoulder. "Why d

s push. But it was a physical assault. It cro

med to happen

n't flinch. I stood my

shoulder. Then I looked u

h thought, but with

lur, a sharp, clean

g with her cheek was like a gu

er face, her eyes wide with disbelief. A bright

" she whispered, tear

, my voice dangerously calm. "In m

ging forward. "Allegra!" he roared, his face a

doors to the drawing-room swu

ng angel, was Augusta Welch. She was leaning o

ire roo

nt: Sabrina crying, the red mark on her face, my d

cus?" she demanded, her voice cu

answer, she did some

tween me and his sister, Augusta took a deliberate,

into her lightly as he moved. It

d been struck a heavy blow. She pressed a hand to her chest, he

l of a master actress. She made it look like Carson, in hi

re, horrified disbelief. He was trapped. Utterly and complete