Chapter 3

Edward had been run ragged these past days. With Charlotte gone, the household had descended into chaos. There were a thousand small matters, and not a soul competent to manage any of them.

Mary could scarcely read her own name, and Sophia seemed to dwell in some romantic daydream, forever sighing over poetry and beauty while the daily business of the estate crumbled around her.

The two of them had already clashed in a heated row.

That afternoon, Edward could no longer stomach the disorder. He escaped the house for a walk through the market streets, hoping the fresh air…