Ballard Estate, Uptown Quarter.
The councilor of Ravenfell sat in his backyard, enjoying the warmth of the sun, whistling a merry tune to himself as he waited for good news to arrive
Beside him, sat his wife, an elderly woman with a kind and amiable face. After taking a sip of tea from the porcelain white cup, she set it down on the table, then turned to look at him and smiled.
"What is it, dear?" She asked, her eyes full of warmth. "You seem quite happy today."
Ives Ballard turned to her and chuckled lightly. "Oh, it's nothing. Does an old man like me need a reason to be happy?"
Of course, he would never divulge all of his nefarious deeds to her. If his wife learned about even a fraction of the things he'd had to do to get the Ballard Family to where it was today, he was afraid she'd faint.
The elderly woman smiled. "Well, if you're happy, then I'm happy. That's all that matters."
Ives leaned to the side and gently grasped her hand. "Yes, it's all that matters."
