Catherine -
I should have known something was wrong when the servants appeared.
After Kieran left me in those sumptuous chambers—silk and mahogany and windows that overlooked impossible gardens—I'd allowed myself a moment to believe that perhaps Father's fears had been exaggerated. Perhaps this arrangement would be bearable, even comfortable. The rooms spoke of consideration, of care taken for my comfort and preferences.
Then came the knock at the door.
Two men entered without waiting for permission, dressed in the kind of livery that suggested old money and older traditions. They moved with the efficient precision of servants who'd learned not to think too hard about their duties, their eyes fixed on points somewhere over my left shoulder.
"Miss," said the older of the two, his voice
