The high arching stone corridors of Blackthorn Manor were usually filled with the quiet, reassuring hum of loyal staff and crackling hearths. But as the morning fog rolled in off the northern sea, a subtle, cold shift settled into the air.
Caspian was growing frantic. With his legal maneuvers blocked by the betrothal and his secret trade routes compromised by Evelyn’s financial maneuvers, he was running out of time. And a desperate coward always returned to the single weapon that had worked for him before: silent, cowardly murder.
By noon, Housekeeper Martha introduced a newly arrived maid to the East Wing. Her name was Clara—a young woman with wide, innocent eyes, timid posture, and a quiet demeanor. She claimed to have been dispatched from the Vane estate’s main household as a perso
