The dinner had wound down into quiet murmurs, the last traces of wine glinting in crystal glasses, plates cleared except for the faintest traces of sauce and crumbs. The waitstaff moved silently, trained to be invisible, their presence felt only in the swift replacement of utensils and the subtle clearing of dishes. The probing questions that had defined the evening… questions of politics, morality, economics, loyalty, had served their purpose. The Sterlings had pressed, and Rex had answered, not with empty bravado but with calm conviction.
What lingered now was not conversation, but assessment.
Although Rex had saved Arabella, and that alone demanded repayment many times over, none of the Sterlings were naïve enough to believe that a single act of bravery was enough to win lasting favor. Noble houses did not work that way.
