Catherine freezes the moment the words leave the Queen Mother's lips.
"A concubine cannot represent the whole royal family," Georgina repeats.
Her sentence serves as a reminder to her.
For a heartbeat, Catherine does not breathe. Then the color drains from her face so completely it seems as though all warmth has been stripped from her blood.
Her fingers curl into the fabric of her sleeves, nails biting through the silk as she fights the humiliation clawing up her throat.
Low rank.
Even if she has become the lowest-ranking concubine in the palace, the Markham estate is still her home.
It wouldn't matter to them what rank she holds.
But Catherine knows better than to argue at this moment. Georgina is probably trying to get back at her for what happened with Eleanor.
She was so confident she could win Lucas over before Georgina had a chance to make her move.
Slowly, she lowers herself fully to her knees and lets her forehead brush the cold floor in a submissive gesture.
