Rebecca went quiet for a moment. Borrow?
She had been the one to call it a loan in the first place, promising Cassandra the money back once the household found its footing again. Now her own words had come back to sit in Cassandra’s mouth, and there was nothing left for her to argue against. Still, some part of her wanted to. What did a girl with no family left need with all that money, if not to spend it on the Warren household that had taken her in?
Adrian shook his head. "I’ll manage it on my own. I don’t need to borrow anything from you."
He turned and walked out without waiting for a reply, and the door clicked shut behind him.
Every eye in the room settled on Cassandra. She dipped into a small, polite curtsy. "If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave."
"Cassandra. Stay." Rebecca’s face had gone hard, the softness from a moment ago wiped clean away. There was nothing weak about her voice now, none of the coughing or fragility she liked to lean on in front of others, not since Sebastian’s medicine had settled into her system the day before.
Cassandra turned back to face her. "Is there something else, Mother?"
"I know you went to the pack house and appealed to the Alpha." Rebecca’s tone dropped into something meant to sound like concern. "That wasn’t wise of you, dear. Once Aurora joins this family, every bit of honor she earns will reflect well on all of us, you included. When enough merit builds up, you might even see a title of your own out of it. That would be a blessing, wouldn’t it?"
"You’re right," Cassandra said simply.
Seeing her fall back into agreement, Rebecca allowed herself a small, satisfied smile. "Ten thousand silver coins isn’t much to someone like you. The jewelry will likely run another two or three thousand. You won’t mind covering that as well, will you?"
Cassandra nodded once. "All right."
Rebecca settled back against her pillows, the tension easing out of her shoulders. Whatever stubbornness Cassandra had shown earlier, it seemed, had only ever been a small tantrum, nothing more. "You’re a sensible girl, Cassandra. Remember that. If anyone ever tries to bully you, I’ll be the first one standing in your corner."
Charlotte sat off to the side, unable to believe what she was hearing. Why was Cassandra folding so easily? Using her own dowry to help pay for her husband’s marriage to another woman was not sensible. It was madness, and this family had clearly lost every shred of shame it once had.
Cassandra turned toward her instead of answering Rebecca further. "So the engagement gifts come to about thirteen thousand coins in total. What about the wedding itself? What will that cost?"
"The banquet and everything else will add up to several thousand more." Charlotte’s patience had worn thin. "Are you covering that too?"
If Cassandra wanted to keep making a fool of herself, that was her business now, not Charlotte’s.
"I will." Cassandra’s smile didn’t waver. "When the time comes, have Adrian write me a promissory note. Once I have it in hand, I’ll deliver the money."
The warmth in the room curdled instantly. Only Charlotte’s side of the family kept their expressions unchanged.
"That’s outrageous!" Rebecca’s voice cracked through the room. "Since when does a husband need to sign a note just to borrow from his own wife?"
Cassandra tilted her head, her surprise genuine. "Without a note, how could anyone call it a loan at all? You were the one who said it would be repaid, Mother. A note is simply proof of that. Not having one is what would be strange, don’t you think?"
She rose from her seat, unhurried, her voice steady and clear. "And while we’re speaking of what’s proper, there’s no reason a husband should be funding his mate’s engagement gifts with his first wife’s dowry in the first place. If word of that ever spread beyond these walls, it would ruin Adrian’s name. It would make this entire household a joke to everyone in the pack. Surely you agree, Mother."
Rebecca’s face darkened. "I just finished saying how sensible you were."
"Caring about this family’s reputation is sensible too, isn’t it?"
Cassandra crossed the room and leaned down, patting the older woman’s back with a light, almost affectionate touch. "Don’t work yourself up, Mother. You only took your medicine yesterday. It lasts five days at most, and Sebastian won’t be coming back after that."
Rebecca’s hand shot out and caught her wrist. "What did you say?" Her eyes went wide. "How could you be so heartless? Why would you stop him from treating me?"
Serena shoved forward, pushing past Cassandra’s arm. "You stopped the physician from coming? Are you trying to kill our mother?"
Cassandra flicked her sleeve back with a small, careless motion, and the force of it sent Serena stumbling backward two full steps before she caught herself against the back of a chair, her knuckles white around the wood.
Serena stared at her, breath caught in her throat. That had not been an accident, and it had not been ordinary strength either.
"Choose your next words carefully," Cassandra said, her voice cool and unbothered. "Sebastian told me himself yesterday that he wouldn’t be returning. If you don’t believe me, ask him yourself whether it was his choice or mine."
She turned and walked out of the room, leaving the silence behind her to do whatever it wanted.