"I've buried three husbands and outlived two wars," Maren announced, settling herself into the chair across from Wren with a small, satisfied groan, cane propped against the armrest. "I promise you both, I am not interrupting anything I haven't seen a dozen times before, usually with considerably less clothing remaining by the time I walked in on it. Sit down, girl, before you fall over that table entirely."
Wren sat, still mortified, cheeks burning hot enough that she was fairly certain she could have warmed the whole room without a fire. Kane, to his credit — or perhaps his cowardice, she hadn't yet decided which — muttered something about checking on Vale's men and made a retreat so swift and so thoroughly unconvincing that Maren snorted audibly at his back as he disappeared through th
