Liera sat by her window, her silhouette a lonely shadow against the pale moonlight that spilled across the floor. In the distance..
Her heart was a frantic drum against her ribs. Ever since the dinner where her father had displayed that haunting, unnatural serenity, Liera had felt as though she were walking on the surface of a frozen lake, waiting for the first crack to splinter beneath her feet. The Duke's smile haunted her more than his rage ever had. She knew she couldn't wait until the boutique opened to warn her sister. The "warmth" in this house was the heat of a forest fire approaching from the horizon.
She reached into the hidden pocket of her silk skirts and pulled out her small mirror.
