"The name Elina is not as important as life in everyone's eyes." Ole grinned grimly: "Some people can't wait to erase all traces of you."
Anna's eyes were icy, her breath unsteady.
Ole stood up: "Cousin, look at what Sir Brown is doing, do you now believe I genuinely care for you and that my earlier suggestions were for your own good?"
Anna felt a wave of nausea.
The dog August next to her barked more fiercely, as Anna gently stroked its head to soothe it.
She felt this world was truly absurd.
Sir Brown was like this, as were Mr. Krueger and Cousin Ole.
They always spoke with an air of considering your best interests, treating you like an immature girl needing guidance, wanting you to proceed according to their prescriptions and will.
Whether with a carrot or a spur.
Your resistance, your perseverance, your struggles,
to them, seemed merely like the barking of a snarling little dog.
