Chapter 42

• The word about the wedding has been shared by the maids and staff, and Amelia is the first to learn of this unexpected development. The voices of the servants were heard reverberating through the hallway on the draft from a broken door. Then, while clucking and whispering, they approach her. In response to the sudden uproar, her heart raced.
• A damaged and stained velvet throne that was gilded in white and gold looked as though a rogue had been sitting on it for the previous 500 years. A snake's head in a vice is mounted on the seat's crown, which is made of thorns. The snake's forked tongue extends in front of its eyes and licks its crown.
• Suddenly, Amelia's mouth feels dry. It has an old, dusty, and woody flavor.