Chapter 3

Edith's thoughts burst out at once. 'My lady, what are you doing? That was your late mother's bracelet.'

'How can you hand something so precious to that bitch Charlotte?'

She was so anxious she started stomping her feet in frustration.

I gave her a quiet look to calm her.

No wolf without a bait. And this bracelet was no harmless gift. I'd already had a special substance worked into it.

If Charlotte wore it long enough, ruined skin would be the least of her worries.

The real damage would come later. It would bring hallucinations, night after night of terror, and dreams so vivid they would break her mind.

They left me sleepless and half mad. This time, it was their turn.

*****

I had barely returned from the chapel to the guest chamber when a commotion broke out outside. "Mrs. Bertha Grant has arrived."

The curtain was yanked aside. An older woman dripping with jewels strode in, flanked by several thickset housekeepers.

It was Bertha Grant, my mother-in-law.

"Well, well. You've made yourself comfortable, haven't you?" Bertha dropped into the seat of honor, her voice dripping with mockery. "Hiding away in peace and luxury, and not even coming out to greet me."

I rose and gave a proper curtsy. "I didn't know you were coming, Lady Bertha. Forgive me for failing to welcome you sooner."

Bertha gave a sharp snort. Her eyes swept across the room, quick and greedy. At last, they landed on the pile of gifts still sitting on the table.

They had been sent earlier by several ladies eager to curry favor with the Grant family.

"What are all these, then? Bring them here and let me have a look," Bertha said.

Before I could say anything, she was already rifling through the pile. "This tonic is excellent. It'll do me good.

"This brocade is lovely too. Charlotte can have a new dress made from it.

"And this jewelry set..."

She gathered the gifts into her arms without a trace of shame, as though they already belonged to her.

Edward stood by and made no move to stop her. Instead, he smiled like a devoted son. "If you like them, take them, Mother. Isabel has always been generous. She won't object."

I sneered inwardly. He was certainly generous when he was giving away my things.

Edith was cursing furiously in her head. 'You old hag, those are my lady's things. You have no right to touch them.

'It was the same in the last life. She emptied my lady's dowry piece by piece, then sneered that my lady was useless.

'That tonic has been tampered with. One sip and it'll tear her apart from the inside.'

I arched a brow slightly. So the tonic had been tampered with?

It seemed even among those noblewomen, someone was disgusted enough by the Grant family to teach them a lesson.

In that case, I would be more than happy to help.

"If you like them, Lady Bertha, then by all means take them." My voice was mild and compliant. "But that tonic is especially rich. At your age, too much of it might do more harm than good."

Bertha bristled at once. "What is that supposed to mean? Are you cursing me? I'm perfectly strong. You begrudge me a few decent gifts because you're still a miserly merchant's daughter at heart."

She shot me a vicious glare. But the moment she turned to Charlotte, her face softened into doting warmth.

"Charlotte is the thoughtful one. She always knows what I like. Unlike some people, who take up space and serve no purpose," Bertha said.

Charlotte threw me a smug glance, then moved to Bertha's side and began rubbing her shoulders. "Please don't be angry, Lady Bertha. I'd hate to see you upset yourself."

"Good girl. That's more like it." Bertha patted her hand, beaming with satisfaction.

Then her tone shifted without warning. "By the way, Isabel, I hear a few of your shops have been doing very well lately."

There it was. The real reason she'd come. So that was the point of today's visit.

"And where did you hear that, Lady Bertha?" I kept my voice even. "Trade has been difficult lately. I'm only managing to stay afloat."

Bertha slapped the table. "Don't try that with me.

"Everyone knows the Shaw family is wealthy, and your shops bring in a fortune. Edward needs money to advance at court. As his wife, you ought to do your part."

"Exactly, Isabel." Charlotte chimed in. "If Edward rises in rank, the honor will fall to you as well. It's a wonderful thing for the whole family."

Edward looked at me with open expectation. "Isabel, trust me. Once I've made my name, I won't let you down."

I looked at the three of them and their naked greed. It was almost laughable.

Edith's thoughts came again. 'My lady believed every lie they told her. She sold off all her shops and poured money into their hands.

'And what came of it? Edward did rise. But the woman at his side was Charlotte.

'My lady became nothing more than an obstacle. They cast her aside and left her to die in pieces.'

I clenched my fist and forced myself to stay still. "You're right, Lady Bertha."

I lowered my eyes, hiding the frost in them. "But those shops are all I have left of my father. If I gave them up, I'd have no face to meet him in the next world."

"Who said anything about selling them?" Bertha cut me off impatiently. "I'm telling you to hand over the deeds so Edward can manage them.

"A man can't make his mark in the world with nothing to his name."

So that was it. She didn't want help. She wanted to swallow my property whole. Their greed really knew no bounds.

Edith was raging inside. 'Shameless old hag. This isn't management. They want to steal everything.

'Last time, the moment they got those shops, they signed them over to Charlotte.

'My lady, don't give them a thing.'

Edith was nearly frantic.

Of course I wasn't going to hand them over. But I couldn't refuse outright either.

If they branded me an ungrateful daughter-in-law, it would bring trouble I didn't need.

"You're right, Lady Bertha." I let out a soft sigh and made my voice sound troubled. "But the accounts are complicated, and Edward is busy enough as it is.

"He hardly has time for matters like that. So how about this? Each month, I'll set aside a sum from the shops for his expenses and social obligations."

Bertha eyed me skeptically. "A sum? How much?"

"Three million dollars." I lifted three fingers. "Three million every month. That should be enough for Edward to keep his footing in Highburgh, shouldn't it?"

Three million dollars. That was no small amount.

Bertha's eyes lit up at once.

Edward swallowed hard.

Only Charlotte looked displeased, and jealousy flashed coldly across her face.

"Three million dollars... That's quite a sum," Bertha said, begrudgingly nodding. "Then it's settled. Have someone deliver it to my chambers on the first of each month."