He anchored his gaze upon her, searching her face for a single crack in her resolve. A heavy silence stretched between them until she finally spoke, her voice as brittle as winter frost.
"I have not the slightest inkling of what you speak," she replied, her coldness a shield against his scrutiny.
A mirthless sigh escaped him.
"The answer I anticipated," he murmured, his lips curling in a cynical twist. "No matter. The truth is a patient creature; I shall unearth it soon enough."
He turned to depart, but paused at the threshold, his hand lingering on the heavy oak door.
"I shall summon my brother. You two have much to unravel, and frankly, I find myself weary of untangling this web of chaos."
"It is no longer my burden to bear."
The door clicked shut, leaving her entombed in the silence of the room.
Isabella stood motionless by Ann's bedside. Her fingers, trembling slightly, reached out to smooth a stray crease in the velvet counterpane.
