Chapter 28

Avery, dressed only in her nightgown, walked barefoot through the house. She had lain in bed for almost an hour before easing out of her room and creeping out of the slave’s quarters. She knew which room was Vivian’s, had scrubbed the floor and changed the sheets of her bed, and she made her way silently through the hallways toward it.

She opened the door and slipped into the room, wincing a little when the door clicked shut loudly behind her. She could just make out Tristan sitting in an armchair next to the bed. His head was back, and his arms folded across his chest. He was snoring softly, and she crept carefully past him and looked down at the bed.

Mrs. Williams was lying on her back, breathing harshly through her mouth. Her usual tanned face was pale, and her mouth trembled with every breath she took.

Quickly, before she could change her mind, Avery slipped into the bed beside the woman and molded her body to hers. She kissed Vivian’s cheek and then rested her