Aurora's POV
Evelyn arrived at seven.
Sebastian was still in the house. He'd spent the afternoon in the study with Lucian, the door closed, voices too low to make out from the hallway. I hadn't tried to listen. I'd sat in the sitting room with the unread book.
Evelyn came in from the cold with her coat still on and found me in the hallway.
She stopped when she saw me. "You're alright," she said.
"Mostly," I said.
She crossed the distance between us and took both my hands in hers, briefly, firmly, the way she'd done since I was small when she needed me to understand she was serious. Then she let go.
"Where is he?" she asked.
"Study. With Sebastian."
Something shifted in her expression at that. "Sebastian is here."
"He arrived this afternoon. He said he's been making enquiries." I
