Episode 5 · Cassian, Tessa, Fiona
Fiona comforts her crying maid as gossip spreads that she begged Cassian to remain with her. Following Lucky Baby's advice, Fiona rests and ignores the whispers. When Mrs. Belondi's senior attendant arrives with supplements, Fiona says she wants to bear Cassian a child. Impressed, Mrs. Belondi sends expensive tonics. Tessa then storms toward Cassian and thrusts abortion pills into his face.
Fiona's maid brings a wash basin into the bedroom and cries about estate gossip. Staff claim Fiona begged Cassian to stay the night. Fiona stops the maid from arguing with the servants and remains composed.
Fiona remembers a vision where Lucky Baby speaks inside her mind. The spirit tells Fiona to eat well, sleep, and avoid doing foolish things. The baby promises her that Tessa will regret all of her talking.
Estate workers gather outside Fiona's room to stare and whisper about her. Fiona sits quietly by herself with a book. She turns the pages and ignores every rumor the servants spread through the halls.
Mrs. Belondi's senior attendant delivers supplements and reports Tessa's rumors about Fiona's ambitions. Fiona agrees with the gossip and welcomes bearing Cassian's child. Her reply pleases the attendant, and Mrs. Belondi sends costly tonics.
Tessa loses her patience and storms across the dining area directly toward Cassian. She carries a bottle of abortion pills and thrusts it right at his nose. Fiona watches the confrontation unfold from the open doorway.
“Let them talk. I'm not upset. Why are you?”
“Don't worry Mommy, I'm coming soon. Eat more, sleep more, don't do anything stupid. Let her talk, she'll regret it.”
“They're not exactly wrong. If I'm lucky enough, of course I'd like to give Don Cassian an heir.”
“Cassian, I don't want to drag this out anymore.”
Tessa confronts Cassian directly with the abortion pills while Fiona watches in silence from the doorway. Tessa refuses to wait any longer for Cassian to meet her demands. Will Cassian cave to Tessa's threat to end the pregnancy, or will Fiona's growing favor with Mrs. Belondi change how he handles his defiant mistress?