under his protection

Chapter 1 Outsmarted

The stout, middle-aged man looked at Isabella with concern in his eyes. "Are you feeling under the weather, miss? Why don't you come with me? I have a room where you can rest," he offered kindly.Isabella's smile, though forced, was enough to distract the well-meaning Mr. White. "Mr. White, look over there!" she exclaimed, pointing to the distance. "Isn't that your wife? You might want to go say hello."Mr. White, now thrown off-balance, quickly turned to follow Isabella's finger. "Is that...Oh dear," he muttered, his attention fully on the supposed figure of his wife.Isabella, taking advantage of the opportunity, hurriedly made her way towards the exit, her hand clutched on her stomach.In the wealthy circle, it was common knowledge that while Mr. White might be a powerful figure outside, his wife was the undisputed queen of their home.This fact was not lost on Isabella's mother and sister, who had previously tried to win Mrs. White's favor to climb the social ladder. But Isabella w