The flower of revenge

ears e

h middle class, in this case the progenitors of the Harmond dynasty had been among the first to throw themselves i

comfort and riches had been abrup

ather, Richard, had left with the landlord that morning; Amelie and her mother had begun arguing over breakfast about which of the t

ng for her entrance into society. She knew she had a line of suitors waiting for her, all

t given her a chance to accept even one dance, despite numerous invitations; therefore, she qui

would wear for her birthday party and subsequent receptions, and

this to her mother when she was

oom where she and her mother were seated, approached

ened her eyes and given

move," she had told h

and left the room in which they had confined her. The door directly overlooked the balustrade of the main staircase, and Amelie had leaned out of the handrail and seen the two bodies that had been laid on the floor, the wounds teari

r mother's sobs; Amelie had tried to get up to join her but her head was spinning too much to allow her to stand. Th

to continue on horseback, so they had left the animals outside the bush and had gone ahead on foot. They had been alone when they had been attacked, and whatever the creature had been, it had not even left them time to cry out. The o

repeating that he had seen nothing. Her mother had stopped crying and was lying half-unconscious on an ottoma

t the anguished thoughts crowding her