"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.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9NsI7ieUx7
"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."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmb5LnRaU3p
Elsie snorted. "She better hope the horse can spell his vows."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZmFNwHha6J
Christina laughed, the sound light as spun sugar.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡevsMzX0Kki
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.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsnAQKVMkOA
Behind her, Elsie murmured, mostly to herself, "Just once, I'd like one of these grooms to come with a brain instead of boots."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8So32BIDQ7
Christina smiled but didn't turn back. The show was about to begin.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaFAh6kPfEQ
---
"Christina! Come meet our guest—he's interviewing us for that article. Something about colonial shipping."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡggsG9cAajT
"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.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOQ0JXWj2tc
She descended with care, skirts floating behind her like a sigh. A second voice—young, steady—murmured in reply. Unfamiliar.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRq1JssuaNQ
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.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9YKvvmVZpR
"Miss Hale," he said with a respectful nod. "Ethan Tallmadge. My father runs a printshop in New Castle."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1sOA0DC9GN
"A man of ink." Christina returned the nod with practiced charm. "How fitting."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk1rGLBXHn3
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."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTTCWOK7RKn
"And profitable," she replied, easing into the chair across from Ethan. "The column—whoever writes it—has paid him back twice over so far."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡME6ld6F2Pn
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."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuJf7keg848
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?"25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpQOLvUyGgX
He didn't flinch, but his fingers had stilled slightly on the rim of his cup.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡisEzcxCIRR
She tilted her head. "Will we be seeing you at the ball this evening?"25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7gopVa9VbE
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."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOOCV67OuoQ
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."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLB1t9TgkZW
Christina stood with him, gloves already tucked in hand. Her smile was nearly radiant.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO1lWOytapd
"Well, Mr. Tallmadge," she said, "may Richmond bring you something... enlightening."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4yRwVJf3iB
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."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4iLWztfetu
Thomas smirked. "Careful. She'll have you printing heartbreak and hair ribbons in a week."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtcGbfchR70
But Ethan's eyes stayed on hers. "Still profitable, though. And that's what matters."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrGI1H0VA5j
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."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj1NrFyna4Y
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.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrVaHm1nAmR
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.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhTvUWwMIxH
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.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0KNQfExAmL
"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."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUlWKBi1xVh
Her gaze slid meaningfully to Christina. "Do be a dear and present him to your sister."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrtC1cBz1pO
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."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfRdKCrBR0p
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."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡatroC89ZnZ
"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.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4DHdaDVfSB
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.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzDIDXS3AqH
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.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzDxrCiKLx7
---
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."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPAM6X3kbx4
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."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCkc9yk9VPK
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.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡosxm5GfAYU
As the dance ended, a flushed young man with soft curls and nervous hands stepped forward, bowing with clear effort.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr7PjSxTR97
"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.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU6Z0xBYsRE
Before Christina could part her lips, Benedict stepped half a pace forward.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6gt7M50IIW
"She's otherwise engaged," he said, clipped and cool.
The young man blinked. "I—I didn't realize. My apologies."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQfI6cWBLMI
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.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbhxK7ACGpE
---25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpZ6TFPwTUj
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.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXZUcnfGhoH
"Amherst," a voice called. "By God, I thought you'd ducked the candlelight."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFxkOCqHQmu
A uniformed officer approached—braided epaulets, boots dusted faintly with travel. His face was lean, eyes sharp.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc8sdvw7nY7
"Winslow," Benedict greeted, clapping his shoulder. "Did they drag you out of the field with promises of cake and coquettes?"25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiXXA4yupim
25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU9L0DzoanX
"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."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFvPvrb9H7B
Benedict scoffed. "A woman? Scribbling secrets between embroidery threads?"25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ83Ud7Oi1JI
"They think she's using a local business," Winslow said. "Maybe a shop or press. Gossip as cover for messages. Clever work."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW2T0v8q29c
Christina widened her eyes with perfect concern.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa0ODETVBG1
"Oh my," she said softly. "A woman doing all that thinking? I couldn't imagine being clever enough to scheme like that."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1NagkvA5SQ
Winslow chuckled.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7IQC2tnt1C
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?"25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbns07B2brJ
Winslow blinked—then smiled. "Yes, Miss Hale. Arguably the most dangerous kind."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡItX53ac4W7
She laughed, lilting and warm. "Only if the punch is too sweet."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHIO3lIWH2i
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.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcacA8wchAT
She smiled, and filed it away.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnSJZ6RbyZM
---25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9MsnTbn0ao
The orchestra struck the opening notes of another waltz—slower this time, ceremonial. Benedict extended his hand with a stiff smile. "Shall we?"25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhm4CCd9ToK
Christina hesitated just long enough to make it a choice—then nodded. "Of course."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu6esr7bOzs
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.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2yDoRULuxE
When the music faded, he bowed deeply. "Thank you, Miss Hale. I look forward to... future conversation."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyukvwJtxiT
"And I," she replied, with a smile that gave nothing away.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr6ZbKa7QPY
As Benedict disappeared into the crowd, Thomas reappeared at her side, offering his arm.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKQvRpzlcZO
"Well?" he asked under his breath, all pleasantness dropped. "Was he attentive? Appropriately impressed? Considering a formal call?"25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8NAvE5WVOM
Christina didn't answer at first. Her fan hovered slightly above her corset.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj8EkqrDTSh
"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."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeIyJbZTKW9
Thomas sighed, already tired of nuance. "None of that matters."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaES2Zt27RK
She looked up at him sharply.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz8qvawoklj
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."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIKtsTjTL6g
Christina's jaw tightened, but she kept walking.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlNu7kTizGM
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."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSjiP72SqJi
Thomas didn't reply.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkLg8MVx0Lk
He didn't have to.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1lsTayvrQM
---25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk1wSa807bW
As they reached the edge of the ballroom, Thomas adjusted his cuff and leaned in, his voice low and clipped.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvc4IHt9yrh
"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."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLXFahUGk6t
Christina didn't hesitate.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbtzNPN1fUf
"Home," she said, already turning. "I've played the part tonight. I'd rather not repeat my lines."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDe5ysk5cmm
Thomas raised a brow but said nothing more.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlQ0yaYDTwz
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.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKVG66TgqPh
---25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡisgDNR13Qa
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.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUmBJ0Aea8M
"You know this is for your good, Christina."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqqC6ws6YLf
She didn't look at him.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0udZx3jO7D
"You don't want to end up an old maid," he continued. "Benedict Amherst is well connected, tasteful, wealthy—"25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmjFFNBnCMC
"Ambitious," she supplied, still watching the window.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaJ797trRZt
"You could do far worse. He's interested in you, and if you marry him, the Hale name will be set for decades."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL6ZPers1Gj
She turned then. Slowly. Calmly.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN9JajNFhmp
"No. You would be."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYOR7e1wyJc
Thomas blinked.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNcHmSV4lBi
Christina's voice didn't rise. It didn't need to.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtLtvc0LSHh
"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."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWOaB3GvbU2
Her gloves were in her lap now, neatly folded.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ62jxUxS10w
"Who I marry elevates you. Every handshake, every investment—every child I produce will carry your legacy. Not mine."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjjrqyoBKGs
Thomas shifted uncomfortably, suddenly unsure of the upholstery.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKn9dyqllEd
"So," she said, still quiet, "the next time you parade me through a ballroom and call it charity, try saying thank you instead."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmkuodJIHz
He opened his mouth.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgVs3TFvxS8
She didn't let him speak.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa4V0IasUi2
"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."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyvTpK6UrIq
The rest of the ride passed in silence.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ7vxNrwOpb
And as they reached the glowing drive of the Hale estate, Christina smiled faintly.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXyvX9sS6m8
"I'll do my part," she murmured, stepping down. "You don't have to worry about that. I'm a Hale, after all."25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJVjk6UsP2a
---25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3sxKnqyGkA
The Hale estate slept.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQNgS642oZP
Its windows dimmed one by one, shutters closed against the moonlight. The hallways hushed, the servants' footsteps stilled. Somewhere, a candelabra guttered into silence.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBadJHwYGj4
And Christina Hale slipped out the kitchen door with a ribbon-wrapped parcel and purpose in her step.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlxztrBOSST
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.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjcjSc2uROq
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.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8cOWUVx2ka
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.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBSPyw1RHUq
She slipped the parcel onto the table and unwrapped it: a velvet-bound notebook, ribbon-tied ink, and the latest letters she'd collected.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLKGK5GtQIs
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.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtFswzgXd79
Dear Miss Ginny,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF7BIM1zX8P
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.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1unjcVKJXb
To whom it may concern,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRdKiJr44KR
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.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUKBJoJOv8S
But her fingers didn't move.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfJhssEGvl3
What you're about to do, she thought, they'd call treason.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLtTbQfMlHG
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.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMehOTupjcw
And she was a Hale.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCGf0jkkSMX
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.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCq2c03ndwZ
But what if this was loyalty? Not to a crown. Not to a name.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGngKXE7JrC
To a life. To a girl she'd never met. To someone being hunted for secrets—and the silence that would let it happen.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKKnqVavEnn
What if someone's daughter was about to die because everyone else stayed quiet?25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsJY26AxLXV
Her hand moved.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNME9NLueIJ
She slid the two sheets into the stack.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrsVHMxfysp
And just before pulling the impression lever, she whispered aloud, as if the press might understand:25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV9L5pasrUu
"This isn't disloyalty. This is witnessing."
---
She returned just before dawn.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXTdfp4psLt
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.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFGw6iyBwBm
Upstairs, her room was unchanged—lace curtains, soft woolen quilt, a porcelain brush untouched since dusk.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAiNXDeXeat
She washed her hands in a basin too cold to calm her.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmBil5qmeh3
The ink didn't fully lift.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpfzUALBGXi
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.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPagmNvPM4r
Instead, it felt like waiting.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqKWTXMQq5g
What if they find the column? What if someone sees beneath the name "Ginny"?25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwrhzZXpZbq
She turned onto her side, tucking the blankets around her ribs. Her throat ached. Her breath wouldn't settle.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ35AUNigdlp
She loved her family.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfZkFsC6RUg
But she had done the right thing.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2nAHXAOCHV
Hadn't she?25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1JCDRDPFGB
She closed her eyes, but the question curled into the dark with her, quiet and sharp as ink on the inside of a glove.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm7RuH0g1jv
Who are you becoming, Christina Hale?25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKGAltlxpNR
And deeper still—25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ79FT9MZBgQ
Can you ever become someone else... and still be a Hale at all?25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡexMvqYDUYT
