Once everyone had food and the initial nervousness had begun to fade into the comfort of a shared meal, Ashlynn turned her attention back to Liam.
"All right," she said, and though her voice was calmer than it had been, there was still steel underneath. "Tell me what happened. From the beginning."
Across the table from her, Liam set down his half-finished steak and ale hand pie and took a breath, clearly organizing his thoughts. He'd rehearsed how he would explain this to Lady Ashlynn several times on the carriage ride here, but now that the moment was upon him, he found himself second-guessing the decisions he'd already made.
