Her Stepmother Sent Her to the Duke as a Joke – He Offered Her a Chair Before He Said a Word

of Agatha’s house. There, silence meant someone was listening at a door. Here, it was simply the byproduct of two people engaged in their respective tasks.

Hours bled away. The only sounds were the scratching of nibs, the crackle of the fire, and the occasional heavy thud of Hector shifting his weight.

By 1:00, Norah had found the first discrepancy. continue reading …