Maddie’s smile brightened immensely when he shook her hand, and her resolve crystallised. She had spent the past few years, even before St. Petereburg, believing that Ana’s word was gospel – that her life had no meaning beyond what she had been told it would have once she was married. While the bulk of her inheritance would not vest until she married – she still had the options she had had before she finished school. As she contemplated, and in a moment of distraction, Maddie undid the clip that held the elaborate hair in place and the tension in her scalp eased, a symbolic sluffing off of Georgi and Ana’s ridiculous expectations.

’It is often said Mister Fisk, that where there is a will there is a way’ she gave a conspiratorial laugh, ’And please, call me Madeleine’ she added. She considered a moment, choosing her words carefully, ’I was very honest with you once, unbidden!’ she gave another chuckle, ’Would you allow me to prevail upon you once again? I fear no one else would tolerate my effusions as you once kindly did.’ She could hear the boisterous laughing of the party of drinkers somewhere beyond the curtains, by the sound of laughing no one would be taking a tour of the exhibit any time soon.

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