That night, at dinner, she asked Frang not to come to their room until 9:00, to which he readily agreed as he still had to go through the accounts. Her bath was waiting for her, Frang not having forgotten to arrange for the practice to continue. Having cut the line earlier in the kitchen, she fastened ropes to all four corners of the bed before getting in the bath. After getting out and drying off, she pulled out the nightgown Teárlag had given her. She held it against her body, appreciating again the lightness and fineness of the material.

"No matter how tired he may be," she murmured to herself,...