The bathroom was mercifully empty when I rushed in, barely making it to the basin before my stomach heaved violently. I gripped the porcelain edges, my knuckles turning white as another wave of nausea crashed through me.
"Damn that vile woman," I muttered between gasps, thinking of Noelle's smug face as she'd deliberately provoked me with talk of Alaric's father. The emotional turmoil had clearly unsettled my already queasy stomach.
I heard the door open behind me but couldn't turn to see who had entered. Footsteps approached, measured and deliberate.
"You look absolutely dreadful," came Lady Rowena's crisp voice.
Perfect. Of all the people to witness my moment of weakness, it had to be my mother-in-law. I straightened up slowly, wiping my mouth with a handkerchief.
"Thank you for that astute observation," I replied, trying to maintain some dignity despite my pallor and trembling hands.
