Chapter 2

The guest chamber at St. Serenity Abbey was quiet and tastefully kept.

I sat by the window, watching the shadows of the cypress branches sway outside, and felt my heart turn colder by the moment.

I had been a fool.

The Grant family was nothing but a crumbling noble house. The title remained, but the fortune behind it had long since rotted away.

When Edward first sought my hand as a merchant's daughter, half of Highburgh mocked him for marrying beneath himself.

Yet before that grand wedding procession, he swore I'd be the only woman in his life.

And I believed him.

I brought a fortune into the marriage, helped him cover his losses, and spent my money buying him favor at court.

Even Charlotte, that homeless orphan, was someone I took in and cared for because I believed she was my closest friend.

Who could've guessed I was inviting a wolf right into my house?

The maid Penny stepped inside with the message. "My lady, Mr. Grant and Ms. Wynn are outside. They'd like to see you."

Penny had come with me when I married into the Grant family.

And from Edith's thoughts, when I was locked away in the shed in my last life, Penny seemed to be the only one who secretly brought me food.

In the end, Charlotte sold her off, and she died miserably on the streets.

So the girl was loyal after all.

I smoothed my sleeve and lifted my cup. "Let them in."

The door curtain was drawn aside, and Edward entered with Charlotte a step behind him.

Edward had changed into a pale silver coat and carried a pair of gloves in one hand, looking even more polished and charming.

Charlotte had freshened up as well. She'd changed into a pink dress, and the marks on her neck were neatly hidden.

"Isabel, are you still upset?" Edward came to my side, his voice low and soothing. "Charlotte didn't mean any harm. Don't hold it against her."

I raised a brow. "When did I say I was upset?"

Edward faltered. "Then why did you..."

"I told you I was just tired." I set down my cup and looked at Charlotte with a faint smile.

"As for you, Charlotte, you look wonderfully refreshed. For such a tiring journey, it seems the ride agreed with you rather well," I added.

Charlotte's face drained of color, and her hand instinctively flew to her collar.

Edith stood to one side, pouring the coffee, while her thoughts grew sharper by the second. 'That was perfect. Refreshed? She's not refreshed. She's been thoroughly enjoyed by another woman's husband.

'Look at her legs. They're still shaking. She was screaming loud enough in that carriage to wake the dead.'

I nearly cracked up right then and there.

"Stop teasing me, Isabel." Charlotte forced out a brittle smile. "I was... only happy to come here and pray for you."

"Pray for me?" I let out a soft laugh. "That's very sweet. What blessing were you planning to ask for on my behalf?"

A glint came into her eyes. "That you and Edward will have a child soon, and grow old together."

"Oh?" I let the word linger. "Should I be thanking you?"

"Between the two of us, there's no need for thanks," Charlotte said, seizing the opening at once.

She sat beside me, slipped an arm through mine, and leaned close. "Isabel, shall we go light a candle in the chapel later? They say the patron saint of mothers here is especially merciful."

A patron saint of mothers? I laughed to myself. More like an angel of death.

Edith's thoughts rang out at once. 'Spare me. She's playing sweet, but there's something foul behind it. She's tampered with that offering for sure.

'Last time, this was the visit where Charlotte coaxed my lady into wearing a blessed charm. She'd stuffed it with herbs that ruin a woman's womb.

'My lady wore that thing for three years. It wrecked her body, and when she couldn't bear a child, her vicious mother-in-law sneered in her face and called her barren.'

Edith set the cup down hard, making it clunk loudly against the table.

Edward frowned. "Edith, what are you doing? Careless at a time like this. What if you startled Isabel?"

Edith bowed at once. "Forgive me. My hands slipped."

"Let it go." I waved a hand. "Edith is getting on in years. A little shakiness is hardly surprising. There's no reason for you to make an issue of it."

Edward's expression eased. "I was only worried about you."

As he spoke, he reached for my hand again. "Isabel, since Charlotte is so set on it, why don't we all go light a candle later? I'd like us to have an heir soon."

The sight of his false tenderness made my stomach turn.

An heir? Did he want a son to inherit my fortune, or an excuse to get rid of me?

"Of course." I smiled sweetly. "Since you and Charlotte are both so eager, I'd be glad to join you."

Edward and Charlotte exchanged a glance, and a flicker of triumph passed between them.

I caught every bit of it.

They wanted to destroy me. Then let's see who got played in the end.

We made our way into the abbey chapel.

Candlelight flickered through the air, and the low hymn from the choir drifted around us.

Charlotte fluttered about with eager devotion, arranging candles and drawing lots for blessings.

"Isabel, I had this protection charm made especially for you. The priest blessed it himself, so you must keep it on you at all times." She held out an exquisitely stitched sachet, her eyes shining with anticipation.

I took it and ran my fingertips lightly over the fabric. Sure enough, there was the faintest trace of something medicinal.

If I hadn't grown up around apothecary shops, with a sharp nose for herbs, and if Edith hadn't warned me, I might really have fallen for that tender sisterly act.

"Thank you, Charlotte." I smiled and tucked it away.

"You've been so thoughtful. If I gave you nothing in return, I'd look terribly ungracious." As I spoke, I slipped a ruby bracelet from my wrist.

It had belonged to my mother, and it was worth a fortune.

"This bracelet has been with me for years. Today, I'll give it to you as thanks," I said.

Charlotte's eyes lit up at once.

She'd coveted that bracelet for ages. She had hinted for it more than once, openly and otherwise, and I had never brought myself to part with it.

Yet now it had fallen into her hands with hardly any effort at all.

"How could I possibly accept this?" she said, though her hand was already reaching for it.

"Go on." I slid the bracelet onto her wrist myself. The cold touch made her flinch. "Your flawless skin suits it perfectly."

It suited the rot underneath even better.