her

the windowpane sounded like a threat. But the morning came, quiet and une

ad not r

me, to my family's territory. I needed the familiar comfort of our own lands to think, to

th me, just a few changes of clothes and my most precious possession: a small, cedar-lined jewelry box fro

ong my folded dresses when a sharp

as an impatient, demanding bangi

sn't Archer's way. He was

stared back, her features sharp and pinched, her skin coated in a thick

ck. Archer's aunt

my past life, settled in my

ened the door. I kept my expression neutra

them was Mrs. Gable, the head housekeeper, a woman who ha

ssed her arms, her eyes raking over me from h

from the sticks," she said, h

I simply met her

se, becoming shrill. "My son, Jonah, had a little too much to drink last night. He

g mother defending her innocent so

ve you have your facts wrong. Your son forced his way into my

is a perfect gentleman! He would never! It was you, you little harl

rom the script of my past, that I felt a strange sense of

you believe," I said coolly, "then we can wait f

s name made her falter

she snapped. "He is busy with important pack matter

told some of the items in this room belonged to Archer's mother. My dearest sis

r target clearly the silver-backed brush

my ground, a rock in t

dropping, taking on a cold edge of its own. "W

p me?" Eleanor spat, he

back at her, my eyes promising

let her and her maids ransack th

s a single hairpin. The battle lines w