The morning after the funeral, Evangeline rose early as she had every day since receiving the news. She left her bed and looked across the room at the door that led to Edward's bedroom--and the shiny new lock that hadn't been there the previous morning. It was something too little, too late, but maybe it would serve the next Mrs. Rowle better. Or the next one after her. Eva thought, with a little less bitterness than usual, that if she couldn't reach back in time to protect her younger self, maybe she could at least protect some future woman who might need it.

(A lock would not have helped her. But it was the symbolism of the thing that gave her comfort now.)

She rang for her maid, and while she waited for the woman to arrive, Evangeline opened her wardrobe to stare into its depths. She was meant to be in mourning, of course, as laughable as such an idea was. Mourning was meant to be all black clothing and the self-imposed loneliness of a lack of social engagements. Eva thought she probably shouldn't leave the house at all, at least for a bit, but Etana had just given birth, and there was no way Evangeline wasn't going to visit her sister at such a time. And perhaps she'd take a walk through the park this morning.

And perhaps... There was a stack of invitations Eva had received, before the news had broken. Of course, no one would expect her to attend now. But she could, if she liked. She could do anything she wanted. People would talk, of course. There would be gossip, probably. But when hadn't Evangeline's actions been the object of scrutiny, no matter what she tried?

Edward wouldn't have liked it. Almost certainly, it would have reflected poorly on the so noble Rowle family name. A week ago, either of those facts would have meant an instant death sentence for Evangeline. But now...

The maid arrived and Eva turned away from her wardrobe. "Good morning," she said, moving aside and crossing to her dressing table. "I think I'll wear something colorful today." She sat down in the chair and took up her hair brush, not looking up to see what, if any, reaction this garnered. "Something red."

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