Rosaline stood on the balcony with her arms tightly crossed over her chest. The evening breeze lifted the loose strands of her hair, but it did little to calm the irritation written across her face.
"Mother, you told me the Duke kept a mistress," she complained sharply. "You said he drinks every day and neglects his duties."
She turned her head toward the garden below, clearly frustrated.
"But when I went there, I saw nothing of that sort," she continued. "There was no mistress."
Her voice grew more bitter.
"In fact, the Duke took Eilika away on a honeymoon."
Rosaline abruptly turned on her heels and faced her mother.
"Eilika is now the Duchess," she said, her tone filled with resentment. "Everyone must show her respect wherever she goes. I could have been in that position."
