Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

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“Cathryn, is that true? Is your mother really gone?” Harold struggled to rise, his voice tight with disbelief.

Tears streaking her cheeks, Cathryn nodded.

Harold sank heavily back into his chair, grief crushing the breath from him. “Bettina… how could she go before me…”

His sorrow filled the room, and the guests sat frozen. Some women lifted handkerchiefs to their eyes. Bettina had grown up surrounded by comfort and respect. People spoke of her with warmth, remembering her gentle spirit—until her supposed mental illness pulled her from the world. No one had expected the next news about her to be that she was gone.

And to make it worse, her husband was hosting a party for someone else—without even holding a proper funeral for the dead.