The morning light streamed through the tall windows of the manor's dining room, spilling over polished silverware and steaming dishes. The air smelled faintly of roasted meat and warm bread, the sort of breakfast that normally made Isabella's stomach growl in delight.
But not this morning.
The whispers, the laughter, the teasing glances she had caught from the maids on her way down here were all too much. She wanted to crawl under the table and disappear.
They all knew.
She could see it in their excited smiles and knowing looks.
She sat stiffly at the long table, hands folded tightly in her lap, her cheeks still burning from the memory of last night.
Leofric, on the other hand, looked as if he had swallowed a bucket of sunshine.
The man was grinning like a fool. He had not stopped smiling since he sat down, as if the whole world had turned into sunshine and songbirds. He buttered a slice of bread, humming to himself.
That was the happiest any of them had seen him.
