"Oh!" The sound was wrenched from the depths of Eleanor’s soul.
It wasn’t polite surprise; it was genuine, unvarnished shock, as if she couldn't fathom the idea of Una being treated with any semblance of respect. Clara stepped in quickly, her attempt to smooth over the moment bordering on desperate. "What my mother meant was... may we see her?" Her voice trembled, cracking on the last word as though she had practiced the question a thousand