tha

aying in my mind the way my mother-in-law Eleanor doted on Beatr

f Jamiya House, my sister-in-law. "And now the old queen is on

d the ph

ly beginning to churn, and I knew exactly who had stirred them.

a invited me to the gaz

"she said, handing me a tall glass of ic

pset? We just have a new saint in the house, with the

all. For years, you've run this household. Everyone, from the head butle

ed pride. I felt my expres

iratorial murmur. "She says she doesn't want the accounts, but you heard what she s

ha. That's a threat. That's how they sidel

the glass. I heard the ice c

oke, "all the loyalty and influence you've built over the years will be eroded,

d left me stewing in the gazebo. Her

run roughshod over the household I'd ma

rice

other sister-in-law, meet at the gazebo. But s

ee that meeting to

ho I knew was one of Martha's favorites, to bring fresh lilies for the suite

, insincere apology, her eyes holding none of the fear

ed. "Ma'am, they're doing this o

I just watched Ros

d softly. "They

Martha. They're watching to see who is stronger. The

y. "What should we do? Should w

"No. Complaining

nage a few servants, what will he think of me? That I'm incompete

aid, my voice hardening. "I have to fight

ed with a pre

n. I want to know about every servant in this wing. Who has a sick mother? Whose c

re she understood. This wasn't about p

nd sharp. "I want the ones with leverage. The ones who are

veryone understood, very s