Sasha was sitting between Ambrose and Sophie, looking fresh and lovely in a simple sundress that should have been unremarkable but somehow made Victoria acutely aware of the way the morning light caught the gold in her hair.
"Victoria, darling," her mother called. "Come and meet Sasha properly. Though I understand you may have encountered each other already?"
Victoria felt heat rise in her cheeks as she remembered exactly how they'd encountered each other. "Something like that."
"I got lost," Sasha explained cheerfully to the table at large. "Ended up in completely the wrong room. Very embarrassing."
"The house can be rather maze-like," her grandmother observed, studying Sasha with sharp eyes. "Particularly for those unaccustomed to houses of this age."
Victoria tensed, recognizing the slight edge in her grandmother's voice that suggested judgment was being passed. But Sasha seemed completely unperturbed.
"It's also absolutely beautiful," she said warmly. "Like something out of a fairy tale. Though I admit I was rather hoping for breadcrumbs to help me find my way back to my room."
"Did you sleep well once you found it?" Sophie asked innocently, though Victoria caught the mischievous glint in her sister's eyes.
"Eventually," Sasha replied with a laugh. "I might need to invest in a compass for tonight."
Victoria found herself watching the way Sasha interacted with her family, noting how naturally she seemed to fit into their dynamic. She answered her grandmother's questions about her background with charming honesty, admitting she was between jobs but making it sound like an adventure rather than a failure. She complimented her mother on the table without being obsequious, and she listened to Sophie's enthusiasm about veterinary medicine with genuine interest.
She was, Victoria realized with growing dismay, absolutely lovely. Warm and funny and genuine in a way that made Victoria feel slightly breathless. Not at all ungenerous and definitely not cruel. And all her blonde hair was still intact.
"Victoria's in banking," her mother was explaining to Sasha. "Terribly successful. Just been promoted to Senior Vice President."
Victoria nearly choked on her tea. She'd forgotten about that particular lie, and hearing it repeated made her stomach clench.
"That sounds impressive," Sasha said, turning those green eyes on Victoria with interest. "What kind of banking?"
"Investment advisory," Victoria managed. "Corporate restructuring, mergers and acquisitions. That sort of thing."
"Right," Sasha said, though she looked slightly glazed over, which was fair enough. Most people found banking about as interesting as watching paint dry.
"Victoria works terribly hard," her grandmother added. "Always has. Very dedicated to her career."
There was approval in Lady Alexandra's voice, the sort of approval Victoria had spent her entire life working to earn. Now it felt like a weight settling on her shoulders.
"That's wonderful," Sasha said warmly. "It must be nice to have something you're so passionate about."
Victoria found herself studying Sasha's face, looking for signs of sarcasm or judgment, but found only genuine warmth. When was the last time someone had described her career as a passion rather than an obsession?
"What about you?" Victoria asked. "What are you passionate about?"
Sasha's face fell slightly. "That's… a very good question. I'm still figuring that out, actually."
"Sasha's exploring her options," Ambrose interjected smoothly. "Taking time to really consider what she wants to do next."
"How refreshing," Lady Alexandra said, though there was a slight frost in her tone. "So few young people take the time for proper consideration these days."
Victoria felt a flare of irritation on Sasha's behalf. Her grandmother's disapproval was subtle but unmistakable, and Victoria found herself wanting to defend this woman she barely knew.
"I think that's very sensible," she said firmly. "Better to take time to find the right path than to rush into something unsuitable."
Her grandmother's eyebrows rose slightly at the mild rebuke, but Victoria didn't care.
When breakfast finally ended and people began dispersing to their various morning activities, Victoria caught Ambrose's arm.
"A word?" she said, nodding toward the morning room.
"I know what you're going to say," Ambrose began the moment they were alone.
