“I have seen you almost daily entering the OB, Lily. It takes no genius to realize that when Hall speaks of his photography expert, he means you. You alter photos for him, da? Develop them? You do not tell people this, yet you expect me to bare my soul?”

“She does what?”

No. No, no, no. Mama rounded the corner, appearing behind Zivon and making Lily’s insistence that the two secrets were nothing alike freeze on her tongue.

Her mother’s face was a portrait of outrage. “Lilian! Is this true?”

“I . . .” She couldn’t very well deny it. But she didn’t want to admit it either. Before, whenever she imagined having this conversation with her mother, she’d planned to list all the reasons why it was necessary and helpful and good.

Just now, with the images from the night still burned into her mind’s eye and on the film she’d yet to develop, she had no justifications.

And Mama didn’t wait for one anyway. She spun away. No, not away, just toward Daddy, who appeared behind her. “Thomas! You knew about this, didn’t you? I’d wager it was your idea. The two of you lying to me—for how long? Months? Years?”

Daddy’s countenance shifted too, the warmth he always showed his family frozen over. The kind eyes gone hard. She had a feeling she wasn’t seeing Daddy at all, but Captain Blackwell. “There are bigger issues at stake here than your high morals about art, Euphemia. Which we will discuss in private. Marin—I’ll show you out. Now.”

Not so much as a hint of good manners or even goodwill colored his tone. Just cold, hard authority. Lily flinched.

Zivon shifted closer to her rather than away, showing another emotion she’d never thought to see on his face. Panicked apology. “I am sorry. I did not realize—”

“Marin—now.”

Lily tried to give him a smile, but it shook around the edges as Daddy laid hold of his arm. “It’s all right. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Why did the look on her father’s face go even harder? “That remains to be seen. Don’t make me warn you again, young man.”

For one pulse, Zivon held still but for his eyes, which flashed this way and that, taking it all in. Then, in the next heartbeat, he nodded and strode through the doorway without so much as slowing down to murmur something to Mama that Lily didn’t catch.

Daddy followed him. And the moment they vanished, she wished even angry, official Captain Blackwell back. That was somehow better than angry, quiet Mama.

Lily’s eyes slid shut. “I’m sorry, Mama. I—”

“How long?”