Clara shoved everything back into her bag. Before Nathaniel could get a word in, she spoke first. "My old landlord took the unit back to use as a starter home for her son and his bride. I couldn't find anything on short notice, so Mr. Cole took pity on me and let me stay there temporarily. Please don't blame him, Evelyn. It's all my fault."
I looked at her without saying anything. Fresh-faced, fragile and pitiful, sweet and understanding — she was exactly the kind of woman who triggered a man's protective instincts. She was also, I noticed, rather transparent. She kept urging me not to take it out on Nathaniel, which told me exactly what she was hoping for: that I'd fall apart, turn hysterical, make myself look like a hysterical shrew, and make her look reasonable by comparison. I wasn't
