"Is she or isn't she your wife, Nathaniel?"
The words hung in the air between us. I held my breath, knowing whatever Nathaniel said next would either save me or destroy me in this household.
His eyes met mine for a fraction of a second—enough time for me to see something shift in them. Then he turned to his grandmother with surprising gentleness.
"Yes, Grandmother. She is."
A collective gasp rippled through the courtyard. I fought to keep my expression neutral even as my heart hammered against my ribs. Did he just...?
Old Mrs. Margaret's face lit up with pure joy. "I knew it! I knew she was the one!" She turned to me, her frail hands reaching out. "Come here, child. Let me look at my granddaughter-in-law properly."
Before I could move, Delilah stepped forward, her face tight with barely controlled rage. "Mrs. Ricardo, surely you can't believe this. She's nobody—just some gold-digger who—"
