luminating dust motes drifting in the silent air. Eve sat on th

her had gone cold. She

he could hear the ticking of t

as shut fast: a fortress she had never breach

still glowed with yesterday's news.

had appeared

t. Bianca laughing, reaching across the tabl

section was a

ook so perfe

arke person? A temp

other casualty of a

ch clench. She shut off the phone; th

and walked in

dients for Augustine's breakfast: freshly squeezed orange

ned habit - a ritual for

itchen, her kind face etch

"Just a bad night's sleep." She packed the oatmeal into a thermal c

e full of a deep, sorrowfu

ccupied one side, his the other - the starkest physica

she had never done before, showing up without warn

h a polite, impenetrable smile. "I'm sorry, Ms. Clarke. Without an appo

id, the words tasting

not waver. "We're aware. Bu

est form: his wife, barred at t

Augustine's executive assistant appeared. He w

e to convey a message: all wedding matters are at y

bled for a moment-"there is no need to cont

lt wall, sealing off any possi

ging her. H

ears, and felt like a joke. The whole world knew her husband was wit

a long time, the engine

read: Ele

mother. The matri

steadied herself, and

I saw the news. Don't take it to heart. Augustine has h

water. Eleanor did not care about her pain; her tears counted

n, her tone shifting from gentle to commanding. "We'll hold

not a r

mother," Ev

over her. In this marriage, everyone cared about

he front page of a tabloid carried a large

: OLD FLAME RETURNS -

rb. She rested her forehead against the steering wh

later, her pho

ent a foolish, desperate

hed it up

y without feeling. "You c

- to ask about the photos, about Bianc

a weak "I... I just w

arp with impatience. "Don't do that again. It's disrupti

ne wen

aring blankly through the windshield. Th