A rustling sound came from the other end of the line, like someone getting up in a hurry. A chair scraped back, and footsteps rushed from far to near.
A moment later, the line picked up again.
"Miss Valentine?" Henry Kingston's voice came through the receiver.
"Mr. Kingston."
"Miss Valentine. I haven't even gotten around to settling the score with you, yet you're calling me first.
What has the Kingston Family ever done to offend you?"
Annelise Valentine let out a dry laugh. "Whatever do you mean?"
Henry Kingston's voice was heavy with pressure. "Helping Cecilia Sutton escape Port Calico behind my back—that was your handiwork, wasn't it? Miss Valentine, if not for Paul Westgate protecting you, you'd be long gone. How dare you call me?"
"Mr. Kingston, isn't that a bit of an overstatement?
The only reason you found Cecilia Sutton so quickly was because of the *Spring River Old Garden Map* I gave you at my engagement party."
The other end of the line went silent for a moment.
