“And… her relationship with the staff?”
Another pause.
“She preferred distance. She believed familiarity undermined hierarchy. Most of the staff… did not speak directly to her. She had a system of intermediaries, strict chains of communication. She was not unkind, but… she was not one for warmth.”
River took it in, then smiled softly.
“Thank you for your honesty. Could you please send her an invitation for tea with me tomorrow?”
Madame Ophelia raised her brows slightly, surprised. Then she nodded.
“Of course, my Lady. But… prepare yourself. Lady Mirna is not one to indulge easily.”
“That’s alright,” River said with a steady voice. “Neither am I.”
—
The sun rose bright and warm over Almira’s emerald hills the next day, casting golden rays across the newly cleaned stone courtyard of
