Chapter 2

The story of my filing a complaint at the magistrate's office was the talk of the town for three days.

For those three days, Tracy didn't come by, and there was no word from Thomas either. I was glad for the peace and quiet.

I holed up in my room, eating and sleeping all day. Every now and then, Luna would help me take a couple of laps around the yard. My color came back, and the marks from the slap disappeared.

On the fourth morning, I was taking my broth when Luna hurried in, her expression uneasy. "My lady, Lord Thomas is here."

I put down my bowl. "Did he come alone?"

Luna replied, "He brought a crowd of men carrying chests. They said they have come to deliver something."

I raised an eyebrow, wiped my mouth, and strolled out at a leisurely pace.

The courtyard was indeed full of people. Thomas stood at the front, with a dozen or so household men behind him, bearing five or six chests.

When Thomas saw me, he forced a smile and bowed. "Charlotte, I'm sorry for what happened the other day. I was foolish and listened to the slander of others. That's why I've come today to make amends."

I looked at him, not moving a muscle.

He let out a couple of awkward laughs and waved his hand. The servants brought the boxes over and opened the lids; they were packed with gleaming silver coins, five boxes in total.

Thomas said, "Five hundred silver crowns, a small token of my sincerity. Charlotte, if you ever run into any trouble in the future, let me know."

I looked at the silver and gave a slow smile. "Lord Thomas, what's all this for? I'm a lone widow; how could I possibly accept such a heavy gift?"

"You absolutely can!" He leaned in, lowering his voice. "Actually, there's something else I need your help with today."

"Oh?" I replied.

Thomas added, "Well, could you talk to Mr. Andrews and ask him to let it go? Let's settle the Hill family's business behind closed doors, no need to air our dirty laundry for outsiders to laugh at."

I looked at him. I could see through him perfectly. George must have let it be known he intended to handle the matter by the book.

The Hill family had influence, but if this truly went to court, it would be a disgrace. And no one could say for certain who truly held the deeds. Thomas was frightened, trying to buy my silence with silver.

I lowered my gaze. "You are too kind to say so, Lord Thomas. I am only a woman. I understand none of these matters.

"It was only because Lady Tracy pressed me so hard that day that I went to the court. Since you have spoken, I shall speak of it no more."

Thomas's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Really," I replied.

He was thrilled, bowing over and over before leaving with his people.

Luna stared at the five boxes of silver, completely stunned. "Lady Charlotte, so you're really not going to follow through with the complaint?"

"I never actually meant to go through with it." I turned to head back inside. "Have someone move the boxes to the storeroom and count every last coin; don't let a single one go missing."

Luna followed me inside and whispered, "So, what are you going to do about Lord Thomas?"

"Let him feel smug for a few days." I sat by the window and stared at the sky. "He truly believes five chests of silver are enough to quiet me. He is far too naive."

Luna nodded, still a bit confused, and went out to get things organized.

I leaned back in my chair, but my mind was already on something else.

Thomas showed up today, acting all humble and apologetic, yet something felt off. Knowing his nature, even if he feared my petition, he would never part with silver so readily. Unless someone was forcing his hand behind the scenes.

Who could be forcing him?

Tracy? No way; she'd be thrilled if I dropped dead. Charles? He was a fence-sitter, never had the guts for anything like this.

So who could it be?

That night, I lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. After staring up at the wooden beams for a while, I whispered, "Shadow."

No one answered.

I added, "I know you're here."

Still no answer.

I sighed. "Come down. I have something to ask you."

After a moment of silence, there was a faint rustle from the rafters. Shadow dropped to the floor, landing about three feet from the bed, eyes lowered.

Moonlight slipped through the window, lighting him up. He wasn't masked tonight; his face was young, with sharp features, eyes with a hint of chill, and lips pressed into a thin line.

I glanced at him and pointed to the stool by the bed. "Sit."

He didn't move.

"Seriously, sit down. My neck hurts talking to you while you're standing," I said.

He paused, then finally scooted over and sat down, stiff as a board, like he was ready to spring up and run at any moment.

I couldn't help but laugh. "What's got you so jumpy? Relax, I'm not going to bite."

He stared at me, silent.

I wiped the smile off my face and got serious. "I'm going to ask you a few questions. If you can answer, do it. If not, shake your head. Sound good?"

He nodded.

I asked, "First question. Is Samuel still alive?"

He shook his head.

I stared into his eyes. "Is it that you don't know, or you can't say?"

He lowered his gaze, staying silent.

I thought, 'Alright, you got a pass for this one.'

I pressed, "Second question. Was the assassin that night sent by Thomas, or Tracy?"

He paused for a moment, then said, "Lord Thomas."

His voice was quiet, kind of pleasant to hear.

That settled it. Tracy might have thrown a fit that day, but sending someone to kill me was not something she'd do. Thomas, though, was cold-blooded and would stop at nothing for cash.

"Third question." I looked him in the eye. "That sachet at your waist, who gave it to you?"

He paused, then looked down without thinking. The sachet dangled at his side, light blue, embroidered with ivy.

"It was a gift from my old master," he said quietly.

By old master, he meant Samuel. I nodded and didn't press him further.

But the sting in my heart only got worse.

I recognized the stitching on that sachet; it was the signature style from Cloud Pavilion Boutique. Samuel had taught me to spot it, saying it was only found in the palace; no commoner could ever copy it.

How did he get a sachet like that? A guy selling pastries on the street, how could he ever afford anything from Cloud Pavilion Boutique?

Unless he was never a vendor to begin with.

I pushed those thoughts aside and asked, "Fourth question. After you let the assassin go that night, who did he go back to see?"

Shadow glanced up at me, then looked down again. "Lord Thomas."

"And then?" I went on.

He replied, "Lord Thomas left the city in the dead of night and went to the estate thirty miles east of town."

"Oh?" I sat up straighter. "Who did he go to see?"

Shadow shook his head.

Was it that he didn't know, or that he couldn't say?

I stared at him for a moment, then broke into a sudden smile. "Alright, that's all I wanted to ask. Head back up now."

He got up, walked to the window, then paused and glanced back at me.

There was something lingering in his gaze.

Before I could get a closer look, he vaulted onto the rafters and disappeared into the darkness.

I lay back down, staring up at the ceiling, my mind turning over and over with questions.

Who did Thomas go to see at that estate east of town? If Samuel were really alive, could he be hiding out there? But why would he want to meet with Thomas? Weren't those two always at each other's throats?

None of it made any sense.

The next day, I sent Luna to check out what was so special about the place. She came back and said, "Lady Charlotte, there's only one estate out there; it's owned by the Hill family.

"Lord Thomas used to run it, but lately it's been rented out, and now some strangers are living there."

"Strangers? Who exactly?" I asked.

Luna shook her head. "No clue. The place is locked down tight; nobody around even wants to get close."

I nodded and let it go.

That night, when Shadow dropped down from the rafters, I was sewing by lamplight. I didn't bother to look up when he landed. "Where's Frost?"

"Up on the rafters," he replied.

I ordered, "Have him come down, I need to give you both some instructions."

Shadow paused, then called up to the rafters, "Frost."

A moment later, another shadowy figure dropped down and stood next to Shadow. He was a bit taller, his stare even colder; he looked right through one, cold as a block of ice.

He was Frost.

I put down my needle and thread and looked at the two of them. "Tomorrow, I'm heading to Whitehaven Chapel east of town to light a votive candle. You two are coming with me."

Shadow nodded. Frost stayed still, but didn't object.

I continued, "We might run into some trouble on the road. If that happens, there's no need for you to fight, just keep me safe."

Shadow nodded again.

I smiled. "Alright, back to the rafters."

The two of them vaulted up, and the room was quiet once more.

Luna came in from outside and whispered, "Lady Charlotte, are you really going to light a votive candle tomorrow?"

"Yeah." I folded up the clothes I had finished sewing and put them into a bag. "I'm going to Whitehaven Chapel to pray for Samuel."

Luna blinked. "Isn't that estate right near Whitehaven Chapel?"

I glanced at her and didn't say anything.

Luna caught on and covered her mouth, giggling.

Early the next morning, I took a carriage out of the city, with Luna walking beside me and the two guards keeping to the shadows. We didn't say much on the way.

When we got to Whitehaven Chapel, I went in, lit a candle, made a donation, and sat there for about half an hour before finally strolling out.

The carriage driver asked, "Lady Charlotte, are we heading back to the city?"

I glanced at the sky. "No rush. Let's head over to the foot of the mountain. I heard the maple leaves are beautiful this time of year."

The carrier nodded and carried the carriage east.

After about fifteen minutes, we came across an estate. A handful of men were posted at the gate, eyeing us with suspicion as we got closer.

I peeked out from behind the curtain, then told the carrier, "Let's take a break and grab some water."

The carrier set the carriage down, and I stepped out, strolling a couple of steps and pretending to take in the scenery, but I kept stealing glances at the estate.

The walls were so high that there was no way to see inside. The guys at the gate were watching us like hawks; these weren't regular security.

As I was watching, the estate gate suddenly swung open, and a man stepped out, dressed in dull gray clothes, head down, moving quickly. I couldn't see his face, but his figure looked oddly familiar.

He walked a few steps, then seemed to sense someone watching. He looked up and cast a glance in our direction.

That face...

My heart jolted, and I nearly cried out.

It wasn't Samuel.

But that face, I'd seen it before, in Samuel's study. The man in the portrait looked like him, only younger, with a colder, more menacing gaze.

Who was he?

The man gave me a glance, then lowered his head and hurried off.

I stood there, my mind racing. Who was the man in that portrait in Samuel's study? He looked so much like Samuel; were they related? But Samuel never said he had any relatives.

"Lady Charlotte," Luna said as she came over, "we should get going. It's getting dark."

I collected myself, nodded, and climbed back into the carriage.

On the way back, that face kept haunting me. I was so deep in thought, I didn't even realize the carriage had stopped.

"Lady Charlotte?" Luna pulled back the curtain. "We've arrived."

I stepped out of the carriage, went inside, and sat by the window, still dazed.

That night, when Shadow dropped down, I asked him directly, "Did you recognize the man who walked out of the estate earlier today?"

Shadow hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.

"You really don't know him?" I pressed.

He lowered his eyes, still shaking his head.

I stared at him for a while, then broke into a smile. "Alright, if you say you don't know him, you don't. Get back up there."

He left, and I leaned back in my chair, a cold feeling creeping over me.

Shadow definitely wasn't telling the truth.

The way he hesitated for a moment, he clearly knew that man. So why wouldn't he admit it?

'Samuel, you left these two behind. How many secrets did you bury with them?' I wondered.

The moonlight outside was cold and quiet, slipping through the window. I got up, walked over, and pushed the window open, gazing out into the night.

I whispered, "Whether you're dead or alive, I still owe you thanks; thanks for leaving these two behind, so I can dig up all your hidden secrets, one by one."

The wind swept in, brisk and chilly.

I closed the window, went back to bed, and curled up under the blanket.

Tomorrow, there was still plenty left to handle.