**THE BRAZEN SERIES is part of the GOLDEN UNIVERSE**
♦YOU MUST HAVE READ BOOK ONE, A BRAZEN MAIDEN, TO READ THIS SEQUEL!♦
♦♦It is ALSO recommended that you read THE GOLDEN GIRL/DUCHESS/PRINCESS & QUEEN to better understand events in this novel, as...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
♪ You brought me to an obstructed view When you knew the picture was bigger ♪ {Jhené Aiko—Triggered} EXPLICIT WARNING—for the song
"Poison."
She'd thought it, said it aloud, screamed it, cried it—but her manner of pronouncing it never changed the simple fact that someone had tried to poison her. Someone had tried to get rid of her.
Harriet slumped into her chair, with Jacob and Mrs. Banks' help, and hadn't been able to move much since. They had agreed to not divulge details of this attempted murder until they knew for sure.
People came and went—Jacob stayed with her for while, before leaving to deal with burials and investigations. Mrs. Banks fanned her face, filled her water cup, slid plates of food before her—but she couldn't touch them. Her stomach was so queasy, so unsettled, she worried she might never eat again.
"Harriet," Mrs. Banks' soft, subtle voice interrupted Harriet's violent images of death, "you have to eat. I promise, this dish never left my sight. I made it myself, from start to finish."
Harriet peered into the carved ham and potatoes and greens she didn't recognize, and gagged. "I... I cannot. Not tonight."
Mrs. Banks lowered into the seat across from her. "You heard Sir Fletcher—we will sort this out. But sitting here staring at the desk and avoiding food will not help."
"Then what will?" For the first time in what felt like hours, Harriet whipped her neck up, stiff from sitting in the same position. "Someone attempted to kill me, Mrs. Banks. And the arrows point to your husband. Your husband? Not only is he in league with my father, which is already massive news, but this?"
Lips bunching as she dropped her gaze to her lap, Mrs. Banks shook her head. "I am as disturbed as you, if not more. I married this man, Harriet. We exchanged vows and he promised to never harm me, never betray me. And in the space of a few days I have discovered that not only did he do both those things, but he has manipulated others, too. He has harmed the poor inhabitants of our city and those surrounding us, to enable your wretched father to secure fame and fortune." She stopped, gasped, looked up. "I am sorry for speaking of Sir Thatcher like so, but—"
"—do not be." Harriet reached for her water goblet and drank so fast her throat burned. "He is wretched. They both are." She slammed the cup down, her anger engulfing her fear, animating in her like a hungry wolf. "So many secrets and schemes... and that vault."
Mrs. Banks froze. "So you want access to it, yes?"
Harriet's jaw tightened. "Absolutely. My entire life I thought it was a story... but it is real, and something in there terrifies your husband. The way he spoke of it last night..." She massaged her temples. The mere reminiscence of the amount of alcohol she'd imbibed caused her searing pain. "Whatever is inside will certainly incriminate him, and likely worsen the charges on my father. So yes, I want access to it."
