Chapter 78

Iona looked at her mother as she approached. She stood up, clutching the fabric of her skirt in her fists. Fiona was unhappy with the situation, her eyes wide, face red, and lips pursed.

"Oh, mother, I hope nothing went wrong in there . . ."

"Did you hear how he talked to me?" Fiona hissed at a low volume, interrupting her as if she hadn't heard anything she had said.

"He is uncouth, rude, and a boor," she continued in a low yet intense voice. Fiona paced back and forth; every time she turned, she violently kicked back her skirt as it gathered around her legs.

"Mother, please remain calm. You're right, but they must not perceive your anger. Remember, we rely on them. We must not upset them, or they might leave."

Fiona stopped short in front of her, very close to her face. "I know," she replied. "That alone prevented me from causing a scene."

A droplet of saliva flew from her mouth and landed on Iona's left cheek, just below her eye.

Fiona began pacing back and forth again, and Iona se