Kate heard the muttered phrase, of course. She had a feeling that they intended her to hear it. Why else use such coarse language? Everyone knew the name. They could have said Russell's daughter with the same effect. Her conversation partner had heard it to, as was evidenced by how he stopped in the middle of his sentence. She might have fooled him for a moment, but now he knew, and now he was probably trying to devise the quickest way out of this conversation while not being openly cold.

"I should go," Kate announced suddenly. She would save him the trouble of thinking up an excuse.