Why, Miss Wyndham,” Mr. Kent replied, looking as chaste and good as a debutante at her presentation to the Queen. “I think we can all agree it’s fair to punish these guilty people feigning innocence every day of their lives, all while helping a wrongfully accused innocent. I would certainly never ask you, but I suspect you agree.”

“You cannot simply blackmail people into liking me!

Mr. Kent raised his brows. “What are they asking?”
“For me to heal a little girl.”
“My God, the brutes, the monsters,” he mocked.

What are you—” I paused and it hit me. “Oh heavens, what did you do?”
He shrugged innocently. “Let’s just say … that I’ve been … in a sense … blackmailing key members of London society and editors of the scandal sheets into preserving your reputation.”
I gaped at him.
“And by ‘in a sense,’ I mean that’s exactly what happened.” He smiled broadly at the room.
“You—you’re serious?” I found myself half gasping the words but also not finding it terribly hard to believe. Mr. Kent never hid his worse qualities.
He wore them like badges.

What are you—” I paused and it hit me. “Oh heavens, what did you do?”
He shrugged innocently. “Let’s just say … that I’ve been … in a sense … blackmailing key members of London society and editors of the scandal sheets into preserving your reputation.”
I gaped at him. “And by ‘in a sense,’ I mean that’s exactly what happened.” He smiled broadly at the room.
“You—you’re serious?” I found myself half gasping the words but also not finding it terribly hard to believe. Mr. Kent never hid his worse qualities.
He wore them like badges.

What made you think this was a good idea?”
Captain Goode shifted uncomfortably. “Mr. Kent, this is a breach of our—”
But Laura was still talking. “You did!” Laura whined. “When you were making the list of your favorite things about Evelyn, you said you admired her ability to sneak out!”
"Kit, you know not to listen to me!” Mr. Kent scolded. “I taught you better than that.

I was tired of rewriting my opinion of the Society. I was tired of wondering what Rose would wish me to do. I was tired of constantly wondering if I had made the right choice, if I even had a choice, or if I was being manipulated at every turn.