Page 13 of Waking Roslyn

She simply nodded.

“Fascinating.” And strange that the duke’s family didn’t claim the connection like a badge of honor. “Have you met her?”

“No, I haven’t had the pleasure.” Her response sounded diplomatic and completely insincere.

“Why don’t you visit?”’

She finally turned to me, and I saw the confusion that marred her face. “Edmund seems opposed to the idea.”

“That’s odd. Aren’t you supposed to be improving your reputation?”

She sighed a little and kept walking. “That is our stated purpose for taking up residence here.”

I paused for a moment, wondering if I should stay out of it, but then I couldn’t help myself. “Pardon me, but do you think ignoring the princess who lives next door will improve the citizens’ opinion of you?”

She laughed. “I take your point. I’ll have to broach the idea with Edmund again. I can’t understand why he would wish to keep me from her. Especially since she was his sister-in-law at one point.”

Once we’d traversed the entire length of the gallery, she turned to me. “It is quite gloomy.”

“I suppose. Though all the windows are lovely.” Yes, the blackened evidence of the fire was a bit macabre, but the little alcoves that each housed a floor-to-ceiling window were worth further consideration.

“I must go speak with the housemistress,” Lisette said after a few minutes. “I believe we’ve hired more servants that I must meet and approve.”

“A future duchess’s work is never done,” I commented.

“Don’t remind me.”

After she left, I went to investigate the view from the large windows. One side of the gallery overlooked the pristine, manicured gardens. I crossed to look out the other side and saw the wooded area that I had wandered into last night. The view from up here was quite impressive.

The trees were not so tall or so thick that they blocked the landscape. In fact, I could see large patches of ground here and there, and even caught a glimpse of a stream before the view became obscured by the distance. As I admired the view, I was distracted by movement down below me. A group of three servants were leaving the house. They walked across the side yard and went into the woods. They walked farther and farther until it became clear that they were leaving the Bridgefield grounds. Where were they going? The Sutton Manor? If so, why?

It was a mystery, and the idea of solving that mystery appealed to me. I would have to keep an eye out for further clues in the coming days.

For now, I decided an exploratory walk was just what I needed, while there was still plenty of daylight left. While my encounter with the large man had turned out to be just a misunderstanding, it had highlighted my vulnerability and brought back my loneliness. It wasn’t as though I really hid my identity; I used my real name, after all, or at least a version of it. But I left out the part where I was the daughter of the highest-ranking duke in Saldine. Lisette knew everything, but she was the only one. We hadn’t even told Edmund. He knew I was from Saldine and that my parents had sent me to live with Lisette years ago, but that was all. Even as the next ruler of Winberg, Lisette hadn’t wanted to entrust him with my secret. Sometimes I worried about what that meant for their future together.

Still, I did feel safer here, and though it was hard for me to feel like I fit in with people, perhaps I could at least make friends with the resident flora and fauna. Perhaps just…not at night.

The incident from last evening kept running through my head. It was a good thing I’d seen the trio joking and teasing one another as they walked through the woods. It had made the experience of being stalked by one of them much less frightening. I’d been more nervous about being caught doing something odd than about coming to any real harm. Those few seconds between running and him catching me had been the only truly terrifying moments. What stuck out more to me was the way he’d so instantly changed when he realized I was not who he had expected. He’d been apologetic, kind and concerned. His voice had been soft and anxious, even though it rumbled deeply within his chest.

I wondered if I would recognize him. Since I planned to do a good amount of exploring around the manor—in the daylight—I expected I’d run across him eventually. He might even have been one of the three people I’d seen just now. He probably was.

This afternoon, I was going to finish what I’d started last night. I hurried down the back steps, stopping only briefly to inhale the scent of lilacs that bloomed against the house, and walked far enough from the house that I could look up and get a view of the whole thing. Admittedly, it had a somewhat dreary look, but there was also something majestic about it. Especially the old wing. And as I circled the manor and studied the old wing, I realized that the few days I’d spent here had been confined to the new wing. Had I even seen a door or corridor that led into that part of the house? I didn’t think so. I knew that Edmund refused to set foot in it, but why shouldn’t I?

I wove through the garden and climbed the steps that led to a thick wooden door set into the back wall of the old wing. I turned the handle and pulled, but it didn’t budge. Perhaps it was old and finicky? I pulled harder to no avail and then gave up, stepping back to put my hands on my hips and glare at the unyielding portal.

“Can I help you, miss?”

I turned at the voice and found a middle-aged woman with a mop cap on her head and a basket of vegetables propped on her hip.

I folded my hands demurely in front of me and gave her a smile. “I was just wondering why this door was locked. I hoped to see this part of the house.”

She smiled in understanding but shook her head. “I’m afraid this part of the house has been shut up for quite some time.”

“The entire wing?”

“Yes, miss.”

I craned my head around to look up at the peaked roof that loomed above me. “What a waste. Is there something wrong with it?” I asked, turning back to her.