Nova had been dreading the possibility that the conversation might turn to Reuben. It had been her sincere hope that Ophelia would be far too distracted by her newborn son and trying to get up to speed on what she'd missed in society since her confinement, that is up to speed on any subject that wasn't Reuben. Luck was not on her side it seemed.

It was entirely possible that she could just gloss over the subject but she doubted Ophelia was asking because she wasn't interested and ultimately if she already knew of it then it would be better to make sure she knew the truth rather than whatever the malicious gossip was circulating.

"I've been well." She paused for a moment as she braced herself. "What is it you've heard about Reuben exactly?" Nova regretted the question instantly. She'd only wanted to know how deeply she needed to delve into the matter but gossip was rarely less sensational than the reality and she didn't care to know what horrible things people were saying about her brother.

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