Sylvia's question had come abruptly, but the ever-vigilant Outlander had not let down his guard even during a love-struck date, much less blurted out the truth.
He had promised the Duchess not to tell the other Witches about them. Yet, looking at the black-haired girl before him, he did not want to lie to her either. Thus, Shade remained silent. The young Black-haired Witch did not press him. She merely recalled her previous conversation with the Duchess in the Council, and her heart skipped a beat. She could scarcely believe that Galina Cavendish had truly gone that far.
Perhaps I can too.
Another Me whispered a reminder in her ear. Sylvia knew that it was the bold and unrestrained side of her soul at work:
Now is the time. The only thing separating you from that is a layer of fabric.
But the naturally shy young girl still could not make that decision. Unlike Megan and Audrey, who felt that the time was not yet right, she simply felt that this was not an appropriate place.
In any case, when Margaret returned to the manor at dusk and eagerly pushed open the study door, she found Miss Sylvia leaning against Shade's shoulder, sitting behind the desk with him and reading a book.
The room had already been tidied up. Neatly stacked boxes had been placed in one corner, piled up like a small mountain. One of the manor's maids was watering flowers by the window, while another prepared tea at a round table nearby. The cat, energetic after waking up, lay atop the stack of boxes, its front paws dangling over the edge as it surveyed the entire room contentedly from on high.
Margaret instinctively sniffed the air, then waved for her maids to leave. Only after politely greeting her