“Homesick?” Puzzled for a moment, she turned around, then smiled. “Oh, no. Alex and Marissa are here. I do hope my sister manages to get away from her art gallery for a week or two, but I don’t miss the States really. It’s just that everyone tries to pamper me, protect me by hiding things.” Sighing, she moved to Hannah’s dresser to toy with the little enameled box Bennett had admired. “I know how tense and worried Alex is, no matter how hard he tries to pretend everything’s fine. Even when I talk to Bennett, his mind only seems to be half with me. It has to stop, Hannah. I can’t bear to see the people I love torn apart this way.”

She too would pamper, and protect by hiding things, but it was the only comfort Hannah could allow herself to give. “It’s this Deboque, isn’t it?”

Eve set the box down again. “How can one man bear so much hate? How can one man cause so much pain? I know, though after years I still can’t really understand, I know that he won’t be satisfied until he’s destroyed us.”

“It isn’t possible for most of us to understand real evil,” Hannah began, though she could and did understand it. “But I think we only add to it when we let our lives be affected so strongly.”

“You’re right, of course.” Eve held out both hands. “Do you know how grateful I am that you’re here? Without you I’m afraid I’d be moody and brooding all of the time. Brie’s coming later today with all the children. We still have florists and musicians to deal with.” She squeezed Hannah’s hands as she drew a deep breath. “I hate being helpless. What I’d like to do is to go up and spit in Deboque’s eye, but if all I can do is make things easier here, then I’ll have to be content with that.”

Hannah vowed, at the first opportunity, to spit in Deboque’s eye for her. “Why don’t you take me up to the ballroom and show me what’s been done? I’d like to help.” She wanted to help—and she wanted Eve away from the package that sat on the shelf in the closet.

“All right, but I want you to come to my room first. I have a present for you.”

“Presents are for Christmas,” Hannah reminded her as they walked to the door.

“This one can’t wait.” She had to get her mind off the undercurrents that were pressing on them all. Dr. Franco had already warned her that her tension could affect the child. “Pregnant princesses must be indulged.”