It was always quite delightful when one of Mina's plans actually worked. Rare, but delightful.

She walked around the table, slumping down in her own seat and propping her feet up on the table. "Awful implies something about her personality," she said diplomatically, bridging her fingers in front of her chest. "What Marian was, in the end, was lonely, I think. She wasn't a striking beauty. She wasn't terribly smart. She didn't have many prospects. Certainly, not for marriage."

Funny how a woman's future was always measured that way.

"Well, she ended up having quite a blessed life." She gave Jacqueline a bit of a smile. "As did you."