Sienna was unwilling, but she had no choice but to join grandma Jess and grandma Byra in greeting the guests. Jess was all dressed up for company, regal in her red silk dress and fur, her tail flicking like a conductor's baton. Byra was simpler, in her yellow dress and thick coat, ensuring that every guest had something to eat or drink every second of their time there.
Sienna followed Jess, her smile carefully painted on, her eyes betraying nothing. Each noble, each merchant, each aide received promises of invitations to Elias's birthday. They even registered their names in a book to ensure that they were not forgotten. Sienna's lips curved politely, her voice soft, her demeanor composed.
She pretended not to know the cause of Lord Fenton's death, though whispers already circulated like wildfire. She feigned shock, even trauma, at the mention of his collapse in her office. That news had traveled faster than Elias's birthday party.
