"If you hadn't bullied Madge, if you hadn't called her the mistress's daughter, I wouldn't have had to punish you like this just to stand up for her."

"Now that you've seen reason, go ahead and give Madge a proper apology."

I kept my head down, my gaze locked on the tips of Madge's shoes, my lips pressed into a hard, thin line.

Madge's lips curled into a vicious smile.

"Dear sister, I hear you've been crying about those three unborn babies every single day for the past three days."

"Don't you want to know where they're buried?"

My hand clenched.

These past few days had probably been Madge's way of getting back at me. She'd had the housekeepers stand outside my door, gossiping loudly about my three children's tiny bodies. About where they'd been buried.

None of them had made it into this world alive, but laying the dead to rest in hallowed ground was a tradition as old as time. I'd asked Everard countless times where their graves were. He always used my depression as an excuse, claiming he was afraid the emotional toll would be too much for me, and refused to say a word.

Madge crouched down and gripped my chin, her tone flippant and cruel.

"You want to know? Fine."

"Get on your knees and wash my feet. Do a good enough job, and I'll tell you."

My whole body trembled. My eyes burned red.

Her taunting, poisonous voice kept going.

"Those three half-formed little runts of yours? I tossed them somewhere random. If you don't kneel, you'll never find their graves for the rest of your life."

I closed my eyes. When I opened them again, the light in them had gone hollow. I nodded.

"I'll do it. Just tell me where my children are buried."

Madge grinned in triumph and planted her foot on the back of my hand.

"There's a good girl."

I swallowed the pain, slowly knelt before her, and bent down to remove her shoes.

Everard stood to the side, watching with cold indifference. Not a flicker of emotion crossed his face.

Madge savored every second of my servitude, drawling lazily.

"Those three kids of yours are buried in the farthest corner of that abandoned cemetery on the outskirts of town. Not even a headstone to mark them."

"If it weren't for my generosity, you'd never have found out."

My fists tightened. "I know I was wrong. From now on, I'll serve you both obediently. Just please stop using the children against me."

Seeing me submit, Everard relented.