MY SISTER TOOK MY POSITION

WHISPERS OF SUSPICIOUS

Chapter 16

The warmth of the ballroom pressed against Nora as she stepped back inside, Roxet’s arm still linked with hers. Laughter and music washed over her, but her thoughts remained tangled in the shadows of the garden. Frank’s touch, his words “More than I should.” They echoed in her chest like forbidden music.

She tried to steady her breath, but Roxet’s gaze was sharp, studying her as though every secret was written across her skin.

“You disappeared rather suddenly,” Roxet said smoothly, tilting her head. “The garden, was it?”

Nora forced a small smile. “I needed air.”

“Mm.” Roxet’s lips curved, but her eyes glittered. “You’ve always had a habit of slipping away. Careful, sister. People might think you’re hiding something.”

Nora’s pulse skipped. Did Roxet know? She glanced across the room, almost instinctively, and there he was Frank, returning through the far entrance, composed as ever. But his eyes flickered to hers, only for a heartbeat. It was enough.

Roxet caught the glance. Her smile sharpened. “Ah.” She squeezed Nora’s arm, her nails digging just enough to sting. “I see.”

“See what?” Nora asked, her voice tighter than she intended.

“Nothing.” Roxet released her, brushing invisible dust from her gown. “It would be a shame if anyone thought you were… coveting what isn’t yours.”

The words landed like a blade. Nora’s throat closed, but she lifted her chin. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Good.” Roxet’s tone was sweet, but her smile didn’t reach her eyes.

The rest of the night blurred in glittering haze. Evelyn made endless rounds of greetings, flaunting her daughters as if they were ornaments. Frank remained near Roxet, polite, attentive, but his restraint only fueled Nora’s torment.

By the time the last guest departed, Nora’s feet ached and her heart was raw. She climbed the stairs to her room, desperate for solitude. But as she reached her door, Evelyn’s voice stopped her.

“Nora.”

Her mother stood at the end of the hall, arms folded, eyes cold. The warmth she showed Roxet was absent here. “A word.”

Nora hesitated, then followed Evelyn into her study. The room smelled of ink and old leather, walls lined with shelves that loomed like silent judges.

Evelyn closed the door. “I saw you.”

Nora’s breath caught. “Saw me?”

“In the garden.” Evelyn’s gaze was unflinching. “With Frank.”

Her stomach dropped. “Nothing happened.”

“Don’t insult me.” Evelyn’s voice was steel. “Do you think I don’t recognize hunger when I see it? Frank is Roxet’s. He is this family’s future. And you” her eyes swept over Nora with disdain“are not to interfere.”

Nora’s nails bit into her palms. For years she had borne her mother’s indifference, her cutting words. But tonight, with Frank’s voice still echoing in her soul, something inside her flared.

“I wasn’t interfering,” she said, her voice low but steady. “But if Frank looks at me, that isn’t my fault.”

Evelyn’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Be very careful, child. Do not mistake a glance for affection. Men like Frank do not choose shadows.”

The words struck deep, but Nora refused to let her mother see it. She inclined her head, as though conceding, and left before Evelyn could cut deeper.

Back in her room, she pressed her back against the door, her chest heaving. Tears threatened, but she swallowed them.

I won’t be their shadow forever.

Outside, a knock startled her. She opened the door to find a folded note slipped under it. No signature, only hurried script:

Meet me at the stables. Midnight.

Her heart leapt. She knew that handwriting.

Frank.

Nora’s fingers trembled as she held the note. Was this madness? To meet him, to risk everything?

And yet, she already knew her answer.

Midnight could not come soon enough