The silence stretched out a bit.
Before Rowan could even find the words to respond to Aunt Margery's brilliant deduction, another voice broke the silence.
Ines spoke up.
The Duchess of Carleton sat comfortably on the velvet sofa. She reached up and marked her page in her newly signed romance novel, closing the heavy leather cover and resting it gently on her lap. Her hazel eyes were completely serious.
"Well," Ines said, her voice clear and steady. "Your intended bride warned me about it."
Rowan's head snapped toward his sister. His eyes widened even further. He had barely processed that his aunt knew about the trap, and now his sister was confessing her own secrets.
"Celine?" Rowan asked, his voice rough with disbelief. "Celine warned you?"
Ines nodded her head slowly. She smoothed the dark red fabric of her day dress, remembering the terrified look in the young girl's eyes on the stone terrace just hours ago.
