“Isn’t it obvious?”
“No.”
Colette took a deep breath, as though she were gathering her strength. “I told Mother she was wrong, after you left. Said you were the love of my life and she had no right to say those things to you. The others didn’t believe her, anyway, when they saw you crying.”
Tess sniffed. “Sorry about that.”
“Don’t be. Most of my family struggle with emotion, but that doesn’t mean I look down on it. I think it’s one of your strengths.”
Tess didn’t respond.
“Tess, I…I need to tell you something. Maybe I should thank Bernard, disgraced as he is, for pushing me to tell you this, but there’s something you need to know.”
Tess stared at Colette, shivering both with cold and anticipation. This was it, the thing she feared most. Colette was trying to let her down gently.
“W
