He shook his head, stepping closer, his voice low and strained. "That's not why she left, and you know it, Mother. So why don't you stop playing games and tell me the truth?"
Harriet's pulse quickened, her heart pounding against her ribs. She forced herself to stand taller, to meet his anger with indifference. "I don't know what you're talking about, Liam. You're drunk, and you need to go back home. We can talk about this when you're sober," She said and turned on her heel, intending to end the conversation, to retreat to the safety of her room where she could gather her thoughts, but Liam's voice, sharp and demanding, stopped her in her tracks.
"Don't walk away from me, Mother!" His tone was filled with a fury she hadn't heard in years. "I might be drunk, but I'm not stupid. I know you had something to do with Fiona leaving. So stop lying to me and tell me the truth. Did you make her leave?" he asked again, this time his voice harsher and even more demanding.
