“Is Sophie already at school this morning?”

“I dropped her at her classroom at eight fifteen,” I said, moving to set the kettle on the burner.

Margaret sat down at the head of the kitchen table and straightened her posture.

She smoothed the lapels of her lavender jacket with both hands, her movements light and controlled.

“Grant looked dreadfully worn out when he stopped by my house last night after eight,” she said, watching me take two porcelain mugs down from the cabinet.

“He works twelve hours a day to keep up this big house for you and Sophie, Emily.”