**Katherine's POV**

Danielle did not wait for a polite corridor.

Her hand closed around my wrist the second Ben's footsteps faded, and she pulled me into the niche by the stair where the formal noise thinned. Her eyes were bright and hard.

"I don't know what that was," she said, low, "and I'm not asking for a speech. I'm telling you this house is a machine. People get ground up in it. You look at him like you forget that."

"There's nothing to forget." I muttered.

"Kat." that came out as a warning. She sounded worried for me.

"I'm married. I know where I am." I assured.

The denial sat...