She found Thea sitting bleary-eyed in the bed, talking to Horace. “If I didn’t know any better I’d say you weigh two stone.” The cat turned his head for a better scratch. “But you do keep my legs warm, so I suppose I’ll let you stay.” “Good morning,” Esme said from the doorway. Thea smiled warmly. “Good morning, yourself. You’re up early.” In truth she hadn’t slept much at all. She’d returned from Fielding’s bed sometime after three and hadn’t gotten any sleep after that. Truth be told, she wasn’t completely certain why she’d been so angry. She didn’t like him going behind her back, but she realized her anger was not truly with Fielding. In fact, it was more humiliation she’d felt than fury. The idea of Elena and Raymond knowing about the kidnapping had Esme’s stomach in knots. They already believed the very worst of her; there was no need to confirm it or provide them additional fodder for judging her.
