Byron, the Earl, picked up the telephone with a trembling hand.
"Penelope, did you let her on the island? In defiance of my orders, you have set a fine example."
"On the island? Who came to the island? And who are you speaking of? I do not understand." Penelope lounged in her chaise longue, indulging herself in a manicure.
"Stop the pretense. I speak of my newly adopted daughter, Marigold Allard. Or rather, Marigold Bennett would be more appropriate."
Penelope's crimson lips curled into a disbelieving smile. "You intend to acknowledge her? You who callously dismissed your son and his family. And now, you seek to embrace this inexplicable granddaughter?"
"Do not speak in this manner. I have always felt remorse for Leo. If only I had kept a tighter rein on him, forbidding him from boarding that ill-fated vessel, perhaps things would have been different."
