Matilda placed a gentle hand on Margeret's arm.
"Go and rest, my dear," Matilda said softly to her daughter.
"Take some tea in your rooms. I need a word with the young master alone."
Margeret hesitated only a moment, her hands finally relaxing at her sides. She glanced once at Jake—quick, shy, unreadable—then nodded and slipped away down the corridor without a word. Her footsteps faded, leaving the two of them alone in the quiet hallway.
Matilda stepped closer.
