“I’d like to make an important announcement,” he said, his voice carrying the boardroom authority he wore like a second skin. “Josephine has been accepted to Harvard Law School with a full scholarship.”

Loud applause filled the dining room at once. There were cheers and laughter. Josephine blushed with perfectly practiced modesty.

“My eldest daughter,” Harold went on, beaming at her, “will be the first Ashford to attend Harvard in three generations. She’s going to take this family and this company to extraordinary heights.”

Even more applause rose from the table. Uncle Walter clapped Josephine on the shoulder. Aunt Clara dabbed her eyes with a linen napkin.

Then my father’s cold gaze drifted down the long table. It landed on me.

“Cecily,” he said loudly. He paused for a long moment. The warmth drained completely out of his voice.