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Cassie lowered her voice. “Lenora, is it possible you are with child?”

Lenora’s thinking sharpened. She had the sudden realization she would never be safe again.

Clarity without comfort.

“No.” she lied. Because she couldn’t be.

A pregnancy would bind them together, willingly or not. And she’d seen his face. He didn’t love her. After everything, she was still just his responsibility.

“Lenora? My dear. Are you quite, quite certain?”

She took a deep breath of frosty night air, wiped her mouth, and then leaned against her sister.

Could she be pregnant?

She supposed she could.

Cruel irony. Her body had been quietly, stubbornly doing the most hopeful thing a feminine body could do, and all while the cause of that miracle was ruthlessly dashing her heart.

“Have you ever been alone with Asquith?”

She gave her sister a hard look.

“If you...” Cassie blushed. “If you and he—"

“Cassie!” She lowered her voice. “Please don’t make such a shocking accusation.”

She had to think before she could react. The possibility was so new. So devastating.

However...

Life had taken root within. A specific kind of knowledge, ancient, instinctive, immovable, was reordering her world. She had something to besides herself to shelter and protect.

“And don’t tell anyone I am upset with Asquith,” she said to Cassie. “Especially not Millie. If she knew, she’d kill him.”

“If she knew what? Did Asquith— Oh, Lenora, how could he?” Cassie whispered fiercely.

He could. He had.

Because, again and again, Lenora had forced the moment. First, she’d blackmailed him, and then, when she should have been holding him accountable for the unfair fury he’d unleashed on her, she’d stripped off his clothes.

“Just swear you won’t tell,” she whispered.

“I won’t say anything, but Eliza...”

“Reads your face.”

Cassie nodded. “My heart, more like, but yes.”

Lenora couldn’t help the silent communication between twins. But she refused to explicitly state her condition. Not yet. Not until she figured out what she was going to do.

“Make sure Millie doesn’t suspect,” she restated her plea.

“I will. But, for now,” Cassie took her hand, “let’s get you home so you can rest.”

“Yes, rest.” She’d welcome oblivion.

Only before she lost herself in sleep, she’d have to give the performance of a lifetime for Millie and Nettie, who shared her bedchamber.