Palma W
At the auction, my fiancé's secretary raised the bidding paddle twice on his behalf.
The first time, she outbid Lady Margaret Vesta by a single silver coin, snatching away the emerald brooch meant as a coming-of-age gift for her daughter.
She brandished the house seal of my fiancé, Cassian Severus, with a brazen grin. "Her husband can afford to keep a woman on the side, but he won't pay what he owes Cassian. I'm just collecting a little interest for him. What's the problem?"
Cassian thought I was still at sea. He just smiled and told her not to be so blunt in front of a crowd next time.
The second time, she set the seal into the gold tray, activating an irrevocable, open-ended bid.
This time, she was after my mother's heirloom: a silver dolphin necklace.
She sat in the seat that should have been mine, wearing the custom crimson gown I had paid for, and looked across half the hall at me.
"It belonged to a dead woman. Anyone can wear it. Lady Helena has plenty of jewelry already. Why not let me have it?"
Cassian still had his back to me.
He didn't know I was already back.