Chapter 210

• Claire's pov
• I had just finished stacking the last of the dessert plates when Mariya came back in with a tired smile, wiping her hands on her apron. The dining room was quiet now, only the faint sound of laughter drifting from the sitting room where most of the family had gone after dinner. My arms ached from carrying trays, but I stayed behind to help her.
• “You’ve done enough, Mrs. Shaw,” she murmured in that soft accented voice of hers.