The first pale light of Monday morning spilled softly through the sheer curtains of Ryleigh’s small room, stirring her awake with its gentle insistence. She blinked open her eyes, the familiar quiet of the mansion settling around her like a heavy cloak. Today promised little more than routine—but for Ryleigh, that was a small mercy.
Sliding out of bed, she dressed with practiced efficiency, pulling on the modest servant’s clothes she had laid out the night before. The faded gray dress clung lightly to her slender frame, and she smoothed her straight hair back from her face in the mirror, trying to tamp down the unease that simmered just beneath her skin. She had learned to keep her head down, to stay out of trouble, but trouble had a way of finding her nonetheless.
By the time she reache
