"Lordy, Miss Chrissi, how much ink did you swim in this morning?"
Elsie's voice rang out from the hallway just as Christina Hale stepped carefully out of her cloak, fingers still smudged faintly with ink. The scent of lavender starch trailed ahead as her maid entered carrying a basin, arms crossed and eyes narrowed fondly.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡva8tWNgDEs
"I got most of it off," Christina replied with a smirk, flexing her fingers. "Besides, the column's booming. Dozens of letters this week. One poor bride wants to know if her horse should match her carriage ribbons."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvWzXacDqDh
Elsie snorted. "She better hope the horse can spell his vows."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡACxhAB8fGB
Christina laughed, the sound light as spun sugar.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdy4PNJvroV
Her silk skirts whispered as she glided down the grand staircase, her gown catching the golden light from the upper windows. The color—dusty periwinkle with a faint gold thread—made her feel like something from a painted portrait. She didn't mind.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYTubyReyDC
Behind her, Elsie murmured, mostly to herself, "Just once, I'd like one of these grooms to come with a brain instead of boots."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN2FNiltfZQ
Christina smiled but didn't turn back. The show was about to begin.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYBWkHR4O2Q
---
"Christina! Come meet our guest—he's interviewing us for that article. Something about colonial shipping."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwBL5b3XJsf
"Oh, it's... a piece on rising shipping lane enterprises," Ethen offered, "for a regional journal. Highlighting Loyalist firms with expanding colonial reach."
Thomas's voice carried easily from the drawing room, warm with the kind of pride that disguised possession.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu3wCtrlHfn
She descended with care, skirts floating behind her like a sigh. A second voice—young, steady—murmured in reply. Unfamiliar.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡagaqBuoO73
When she entered the tea room, it was already dressed for performance: gleaming porcelain, lemon curls in crystal, silver glinting on linen. The stranger stood as she entered.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxN0ZmAc7nX
"Miss Hale," he said with a respectful nod. "Ethan Tallmadge. My father runs a printshop in New Castle."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcYx1vZDVlO
"A man of ink." Christina returned the nod with practiced charm. "How fitting."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiZGuN5HLzK
Thomas motioned to the teapot. "Christina's our family scandal. Father bought her a little print shop years ago—thought it'd be a phase. Nothing extravagant, but it kept her entertained."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgAEEEjODxH
"And profitable," she replied, easing into the chair across from Ethan. "The column—whoever writes it—has paid him back twice over so far."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuJepSL2vx0
Thomas chuckled, slicing a lemon with theatrical care. "He splits the earnings. Half goes into a trust Christina can dip into for anything Father won't approve of. The other half's earmarked for her future husband. Keeps the ledger tidy."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmkXD8S0VtR
Christina stirred her tea with precision. "Of course. I'll marry well. My dowry will ensure it. Father finds love impractical—like poetry in a warehouse ledger. But I'm still attractive enough to be useful." She looked to Ethan. "Isn't that the phrase?"87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiNXFgSLzVm
He didn't flinch, but his fingers had stilled slightly on the rim of his cup.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvsqBol57WR
She tilted her head. "Will we be seeing you at the ball this evening?"87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDSVecbAEH5
He met her gaze steadily. "No, I'm afraid not. I've business in Richmond—deliveries to make, contacts to meet. I leave before dawn."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHZFF91nPPj
Thomas gave a short laugh, standing to retrieve his coat. "Well, you'll miss quite the ball. Every notable family will be there. A few promising suitors for Christina, too. We must marry her off before she starts forming opinions."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgkKCyBCG1Y
Christina stood with him, gloves already tucked in hand. Her smile was nearly radiant.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYM1eD7bx89
"Well, Mr. Tallmadge," she said, "may Richmond bring you something... enlightening."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNCDP71Ibu7
Ethan rose with them. "Next time I'm in Williamsburg, perhaps you'll show me your shop. Being a printer's son, I'd love to see what others are doing—especially if your anonymous column is that profitable. Might be something my family should invest in."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzWfTbo8pJS
Thomas smirked. "Careful. She'll have you printing heartbreak and hair ribbons in a week."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxCx3NIy8G7
But Ethan's eyes stayed on hers. "Still profitable, though. And that's what matters."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXigMzSDC5F
Christina met his gaze with something more practiced than warmth. "Williamsburg," she said, looping her arm through her brother's, "has its own definition of value, Mr. Tallmadge."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAinljyoMbQ
And just like that, they swept from the room—Thomas full of ambition, Christina full of riddles, and Ethan with the distinct feeling that her ink could leave stains long after it dried.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf2Pf7Lubue
And just like that, ink met match.
–––
The ballroom shimmered under the gentle glow of numerous candles. Music wafted from a string quartet tucked in the far corner, each note mingling with the subdued hum of refined conversation and laughter. Christina, her periwinkle gown and gold accents catching every stray beam of light, moved with poised deliberation across the polished floor, escorted by her ever-watchful brother, Thomas.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtKvAr4NEvQ
Before they reached the center of the room, a graceful figure in exquisite rose-hued satin appeared from the throng—a lady whose presence bespoke her status as one of the evening's hostesses. It was none other than the governor's wife, Mrs. Ashbury. With a warm smile and an assured nod, she gently steered Thomas aside for a brief private moment.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl2WW5XtroM
"Thomas," Mrs. Ashbury murmured as they strolled a side corridor draped in velvet, "it is my pleasure to introduce Mr. Benedict Amherst. His name has sparked no small amount of admiration in our circles."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdmH467Jaxe
Her gaze slid meaningfully to Christina. "Do be a dear and present him to your sister."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡavqMse5yk4
Thomas's smile barely touched his eyes. "Miss Hale—Mr. Benedict Amherst. He hails from Norfolk, and has made rather a name for himself in maritime trade. A connection the Hale family would, I think, find... familiar."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcTZjEBMMm1
He gestured broadly, as if casting a net made of expectations.
Benedict stepped forward. Tall, with measured grace and eyes that carried a hint of quiet calculation, he bowed slightly. "Miss Hale, it is an honor. I've heard that your reputation extends beyond mere beauty—into realms of enterprise and letters. I trust our acquaintance tonight shall be most enlightening."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFL6ChhatSK
"Mr. Amherst, how flattering. One hopes that a woman's wit might occasionally rise to meet her reputation. In my experience, ink and ingenuity are often the most underestimated forms of capital."
Mrs. Ashbury interjected lightly, "Indeed, Miss Hale. And it is my hope that the finest qualities be brought together tonight." Her tone was both encouraging and commanding, a reminder that even in this world of grand orchestration, every meeting was carefully arranged.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDbWIfvvTDU
Thomas offered a small, satisfied smile as he took a step back, allowing the conversation to settle between Christina and Benedict. The ambient murmurs of the ballroom swirled around them. In that brief exchange, the seed of intrigue was sown—each word measured, each glance weighted with potential. Christina's eyes glinted with the unspoken challenge of a woman who was as much a puzzle as she was a promise, while Benedict's steady gaze showed that he, too, was captivated by the prospect of what may lie beneath the flawless surface.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1k37Rh07F7
As the orchestra resumed a sweeping waltz, the trio moved together toward the dance floor—a deliberate and graceful progression into an evening where alliances were forged and reputations, like ink on fine paper, were destined to leave their mark.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSqKkb1mo3C
---
The waltz soared, its rhythm deliberate and delicate—exactly the kind that demanded practiced grace and a partner who understood tempo like a contract. Benedict led well, but not gently; his hold was firm, his gaze intent.
"So," he began smoothly, "your brother claims your little printshop is becoming quite the sensation."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvQJGbVIK4H
Christina's smile softened without sweetening. "Only among the ribbon-obsessed and the heartbroken. But yes—the column earns its keep."
"And your father allows this... enterprise?"
"He takes his half," she replied, voice light. "It was his gift to begin with. But the shop is mine, legally. The deed bears my name."
Benedict's steps didn't falter—but she felt something shift in the flex of his arm. "For now."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLt7ivsX9dn
She tilted her chin. "There's a clause in the marriage contract. The property and profits remain with me. Permanently."
A pause.
"Very forward-thinking," he said, evenly.
"I've always liked being ahead of the press run," she replied with a pleasant shrug.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7c4KLz4SLQ
As the dance ended, a flushed young man with soft curls and nervous hands stepped forward, bowing with clear effort.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSlCgXd1cI7
"Miss Hale," he stammered, "if you're not already—might I have the next dance?"
He was respectable, but modestly born. His collar was slightly wilted.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCHLXJVtbw0
Before Christina could part her lips, Benedict stepped half a pace forward.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAbg6dr8QUG
"She's otherwise engaged," he said, clipped and cool.
The young man blinked. "I—I didn't realize. My apologies."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT2PIlNaQ0O
Benedict didn't answer. The boy turned, crestfallen, disappearing into the crowd.
Christina glanced up at her partner. "Was that necessary?"
His smile didn't reach his eyes. "He's beneath your station."
"I see," she said quietly.
She didn't say more, but her expression smoothed into something unreadable—beautiful, courteous, and distant as the moon behind lace.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPxLkkJxcXu
---87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcvvDeszioB
They moved to the punch table, where crystal bowls gleamed and laughter floated like perfume. The sting of citrus and crushed berries filled the air.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwpYOmUHxBE
"Amherst," a voice called. "By God, I thought you'd ducked the candlelight."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡADbq3ikkov
A uniformed officer approached—braided epaulets, boots dusted faintly with travel. His face was lean, eyes sharp.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzN8QveFF8L
"Winslow," Benedict greeted, clapping his shoulder. "Did they drag you out of the field with promises of cake and coquettes?"87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Xdr3ZNFFW
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQxIUiWx9Hg
"I needed both," the lieutenant said with a half-smile. "But I came for news."
He lowered his voice, glancing at the gathered crowd. "Word is there's a Continental sympathizer operating here in Williamsburg. Not a soldier. Someone quiet. Possibly a woman."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv5NNPoczf7
Benedict scoffed. "A woman? Scribbling secrets between embroidery threads?"87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXt1TFwgeKz
"They think she's using a local business," Winslow said. "Maybe a shop or press. Gossip as cover for messages. Clever work."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUO6ILRg7ZC
Christina widened her eyes with perfect concern.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvtwlDuUHX2
"Oh my," she said softly. "A woman doing all that thinking? I couldn't imagine being clever enough to scheme like that."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGI3xvblOHY
Winslow chuckled.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBlioxMQZGD
She turned her gaze to him, soft and silken. "I'm quite lucky, you know. Born into the right family. I'll find a charming husband, plan a luncheon or two, maybe name a spaniel after a virtue. That's the best kind of life, isn't it, Lieutenant?"87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQcc4bTbu0
Winslow blinked—then smiled. "Yes, Miss Hale. Arguably the most dangerous kind."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡevkhTmIcib
She laughed, lilting and warm. "Only if the punch is too sweet."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkt1nHm61rt
The men returned to their low murmurings. Christina took a slow sip and looked out across the crowd—memorizing names, faces, uniforms, and a single whispered port city she'd overheard.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6UQvGgJWc7
She smiled, and filed it away.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKaSnTl6os9
---87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnToU60JFhY
The orchestra struck the opening notes of another waltz—slower this time, ceremonial. Benedict extended his hand with a stiff smile. "Shall we?"87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmQFXj0uFvV
Christina hesitated just long enough to make it a choice—then nodded. "Of course."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR82fzKw0kk
They danced without words for the first half. His form was impeccable, his focus unwavering, yet she noticed it now—the way his jaw tensed when he wasn't speaking, the calculated grip of his hand at her back.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6pAm9OI1OO
When the music faded, he bowed deeply. "Thank you, Miss Hale. I look forward to... future conversation."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7A8CtSNWRM
"And I," she replied, with a smile that gave nothing away.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvxcq765Aav
As Benedict disappeared into the crowd, Thomas reappeared at her side, offering his arm.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgjhwL670ec
"Well?" he asked under his breath, all pleasantness dropped. "Was he attentive? Appropriately impressed? Considering a formal call?"87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ86hs3KSYMI
Christina didn't answer at first. Her fan hovered slightly above her corset.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcPMfqkJZn2
"He asked thoughtful questions. But not about me. Not really. About the shop. About my dowry. And when I corrected him on ownership, he didn't like it."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxkvC1DLLla
Thomas sighed, already tired of nuance. "None of that matters."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡViYJFpDbL4
She looked up at him sharply.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD6SmzQjI0s
He added, "You're not marrying someone for their tolerance. You're marrying for the ledger. And he's right—those boys who stumble over their collars and ask for dances like favors? They're beneath you."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHXp7fuxZnK
Christina's jaw tightened, but she kept walking.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEPrMT5PP1x
Only when they reached the edge of the ballroom did she murmur, "I'd rather be underestimated by an honest man... than tolerated by one who wants to amend the terms."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpp24gv7IM6
Thomas didn't reply.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnYJL8wNpXw
He didn't have to.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoUzLXoAA3W
---87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg8tG6tmK96
As they reached the edge of the ballroom, Thomas adjusted his cuff and leaned in, his voice low and clipped.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡty5LVV0IEo
"Well, you can dance with one of the other eligible bachelors," he said, scanning the crowd, "or we can go home for the night. Your call."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrdQ92N3iUU
Christina didn't hesitate.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1BpGCCCzF4
"Home," she said, already turning. "I've played the part tonight. I'd rather not repeat my lines."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpWOndIk6CR
Thomas raised a brow but said nothing more.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHbCn5DyTw7
By the time the carriage pulled away from the glowing estate windows, she was staring out into the dark—counting how long before the hallway lamps would dim. Before the servants retired. Before the city drifted into quiet, and the only sound left in the world would be the turning of a press.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqBeZW4DKXQ
---87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVM2sdL3kcE
The Hale carriage rattled softly through the narrow brick streets, lanterns casting pale gold shadows against the velvet interior. The night had quieted, but tension settled thick between brother and sister.
Thomas exhaled through his nose and broke the silence.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe5l60VuMGO
"You know this is for your good, Christina."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXH4gsD0CYx
She didn't look at him.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe5TQeVb3Jv
"You don't want to end up an old maid," he continued. "Benedict Amherst is well connected, tasteful, wealthy—"87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJPKksv9I2Q
"Ambitious," she supplied, still watching the window.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBphikLtdwe
"You could do far worse. He's interested in you, and if you marry him, the Hale name will be set for decades."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW1hMXkqXRi
She turned then. Slowly. Calmly.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5P58gWUiQ0
"No. You would be."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrBCIrAIO2b
Thomas blinked.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0mhQGBnYJU
Christina's voice didn't rise. It didn't need to.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9fB70aoRFX
"I don't get a penny from the shipping side of Father's estate. When he dies, every ship, every ledger, every crate marked with Hale goes to you. Not me."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY7p8ad0Si8
Her gloves were in her lap now, neatly folded.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz4l2z7p6s1
"Who I marry elevates you. Every handshake, every investment—every child I produce will carry your legacy. Not mine."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu8S6FCqObm
Thomas shifted uncomfortably, suddenly unsure of the upholstery.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEce23JkNUn
"So," she said, still quiet, "the next time you parade me through a ballroom and call it charity, try saying thank you instead."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6VrmiHOPXG
He opened his mouth.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWRUWSBfSzk
She didn't let him speak.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA8OjAFSrXS
"You may be the next Sir Hale," she finished, folding her hands. "But it's who I marry that makes you more profitable. Not me."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaMLtC5FwKx
The rest of the ride passed in silence.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHDccNMP9z6
And as they reached the glowing drive of the Hale estate, Christina smiled faintly.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVfUJux1Xx3
"I'll do my part," she murmured, stepping down. "You don't have to worry about that. I'm a Hale, after all."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡblJyIHo4Ic
---87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Rf2X0cAGV
The Hale estate slept.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbbCrdSSOOl
Its windows dimmed one by one, shutters closed against the moonlight. The hallways hushed, the servants' footsteps stilled. Somewhere, a candelabra guttered into silence.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVgafaNWbcY
And Christina Hale slipped out the kitchen door with a ribbon-wrapped parcel and purpose in her step.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB2DAMkny4G
Her slippers barely kissed the bricks as she moved—skirt hem pinned, curls tucked into the hood of a charcoal cloak. No jewelry. No paint. Just breath and silk and the weight of knowing.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGNo9ibIsZf
The city was different at 3:18 a.m.—all soft echoes and old smells. Yeast and salt, the faint iron of the port. She let herself into the print shop with a key she'd had cut by a locksmith who once asked no questions.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF3OyQCQ4jb
Inside, the air was cold but loyal. She didn't light every lamp. Just the one she needed. The press loomed in its corner like a silent sentinel, the plate waiting for her next breath.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrukIbMmSuO
She slipped the parcel onto the table and unwrapped it: a velvet-bound notebook, ribbon-tied ink, and the latest letters she'd collected.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡskT2yeoR4E
But she had written this one herself, by candlelight in her room, waiting for the household to sleep. Should she print it? Should she throw it away? She didn't know what to do.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuWhpEf2tZi
Dear Miss Ginny,87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRqslTThH5L
To whom it may concern—
Somewhere in the shops or homes of our quiet Williamsburg—our city we like to think is far from the world's turning—a name is being whispered. A possible spy against the English crown.
I do not know who they are. But loyalist households are murmuring, and the circle is tightening.
Could you imagine? Betraying your country in such a way? What would you do, Miss Ginny? What should someone do, if they suspect something?
— A Concerned Citizen
She took a clean sheet. Dipped the quill.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCCqMRWPWvh
To whom it may concern,87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYBcLbWZqwC
If your information is correct, then the war is far closer than many of us would like to believe. And if that is the case—it could be anyone. Anywhere. A shopkeeper. A scholar. A guest at the last ball.
My advice to you is this: stay vigilant. Be careful where you go. Be careful who you're with.
What is whispered in a safe room today may echo loudly in a courtroom tomorrow.
— Your friend,
Ginny
She stared down at the typeset reply signed Your friend, Ginny, the press oiled and ready to run.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYU6Yt1KZdl
But her fingers didn't move.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw7p2LNzBsQ
What you're about to do, she thought, they'd call treason.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw6WrCyAXDd
Thomas. Father. Every guest in that ballroom. Every man who clapped Benedict Amherst on the back. To them, this wasn't journalism. It wasn't morality. It was betrayal.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCMVVHRnFko
And she was a Hale.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1LttkXpIte
She pressed her palm flat against the pressplate, feeling the cool metal bite against her skin. She thought of the family crest above the study door. Of her father's voice, crisp and tired: We don't trade in whispers, Christina. We trade in goods. In loyalty.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ZTOS1hGCI
But what if this was loyalty? Not to a crown. Not to a name.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOcH7WNyDOT
To a life. To a girl she'd never met. To someone being hunted for secrets—and the silence that would let it happen.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGlVCuhS4Qz
What if someone's daughter was about to die because everyone else stayed quiet?87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmhtxETSDSY
Her hand moved.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrZgPNfZ5Fe
She slid the two sheets into the stack.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYgE4Zga9I1
And just before pulling the impression lever, she whispered aloud, as if the press might understand:87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRHykl1gNE3
"This isn't disloyalty. This is witnessing."
---
She returned just before dawn.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgUAaNnpvDP
The Hale estate was still and shadowed, the windows dulled with morning fog. No one stirred as she slipped inside. Her slippers were damp, the hem of her cloak scented with ash and ink.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZtaXpqEMWW
Upstairs, her room was unchanged—lace curtains, soft woolen quilt, a porcelain brush untouched since dusk.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrZ5SDnrDJQ
She washed her hands in a basin too cold to calm her.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL3ITi7j8nQ
The ink didn't fully lift.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa0YQQfd1yh
She crawled into bed with her gloves tucked beneath the pillow and her fingers still stained, heart still echoing with the sound of type striking plate. It should have felt like safety.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA894zIrx5v
Instead, it felt like waiting.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcTMd7nXbvo
What if they find the column? What if someone sees beneath the name "Ginny"?87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ56hXTEQ31R
She turned onto her side, tucking the blankets around her ribs. Her throat ached. Her breath wouldn't settle.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeHOQty7u5J
She loved her family.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF59A0VB0w5
But she had done the right thing.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ33hr2KTZ5v
Hadn't she?87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡODu2M8Au4s
She closed her eyes, but the question curled into the dark with her, quiet and sharp as ink on the inside of a glove.87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡecP65q0fY8
Who are you becoming, Christina Hale?87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoLKPWgGbog
And deeper still—87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSrdxtLV3I4
Can you ever become someone else... and still be a Hale at all?87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc89rmw9wnF
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