Chapter 36

By the time they made it down the mountain, the sun had fully risen, and the warmth made the whole morning feel totally different from when they’d come up—cozy and relaxed. The campsite was back in business, so they stopped for a break and grabbed some breakfast. While Elsie went to get some water, Grace was already lounging in a chair in the lounge. Elsie ignored her completely and went straight to the faucet to fill her bottle. Grace stared at her graceful silhouette, trying to figure out where that quiet confidence came from. In her mind, Elsie was still the awkward newcomer to the Harding household—looked down on and quietly bullied. So even though Elsie was pretty and living practically under William’s nose, Grace had never taken her seriously. What she hadn't expected was for William to actually call off the engagement—with a hefty cost—just to marry Elsie. So what if they’d slept together? That didn’t mean anything. Grown-ups do that all the time. Hand over a check, done deal. B