The clock on the mantel ticked steadily in the living room, each second pressing faintly against Ezekiel's patience. He had been ready for some time now. Everything was in place except for his wife.
His thoughts drifted to Ruelle.
By now, her parents would have reprimanded her for her shameful action. He imagined her standing there silent and wounded. When he reached there, he would offer her what she lacked. A shoulder and a reminder that she still had him.
He had a meeting with Lorenzo Helsing, but he had postponed it because it could wait today.
At last, Caroline entered the living room, her dress catching the light as she moved, flattering her skin exactly as she had intended. She had been careful to make sure people of Brackenwell knew her status had risen and that she was no longer poor.
"I am almost ready," she said with a small laugh.
Ezekiel reminded her, "We should hurry. It would be rude to arrive late."
