"Are you going mad?" Lady Catherine's hand shot out like a whip, the slap connecting with Jassica's cheek with a resounding crack that echoed through the tense silence of the drawing room. The three sisters and Lady Catherine stared at each other, the air thick with the aftershock of the unexpected violence.
Eliana gasped, her hand flying to her own cheek in a mirror of her sister's pain. Jassica's eyes watered, but she held her mother's gaze, the anger in her eyes slowly being replaced by a dawning understanding. "You dare to question Lady Ashford's words?" Lady Catherine's voice was cold, a stark contrast to the warmth that usually suffused her tones.