Emma's Comeback

"Tilll this day, the people of Lounderland believe that I murdered poor Egbert and hung his stuffed remains from the canopy of my bed," Penelope ended her tale with a flourish.

Rhea's cup clinked softly against the saucer as she set it down and asked rather seriously, "Did you?"

The older woman let out a bark of laughter that shook her thin figure, her eyes pinching shut as tears bubbled in the corners.

"There are some secrets a lady, no matter how prone to gossip she may be, ought to take to the grave, young Rhea."

Rhea nodded in agreement as she smiled in understanding, though her secrets were a lot tamer than Penelope's and were carried with more guilt—strange as it would seem.

The late morning sun sat lazy in the sky, shining down on the two women having tea on the back lawn of Penelope's opulent mansion.