Chapter 3

Helen released her grip and walked to my vanity, pulling the drawers open.

She swept the pearl hairpins, earrings, and bracelets in a single motion into a cloth sack she had already prepared. Her movements were entirely devoid of hesitation.

She glanced back at me. "Don't stand there staring. Where is the inventory list of the wealth you brought into this marriage? Bring it out.

"Take every valuable item you can carry, leaving absolutely nothing behind. Gather the property deeds, the shop contracts, and especially the banknotes."

I snapped out of my trance, rushing to the side of the bed to retrieve a carved rosewood box from a hidden compartment.

It held the inventory list my own mother had placed in my hands before my wedding, detailing every single coin and asset with perfect clarity.

Helen took the box, flipped the lid open, and with a single sweeping glance, accurately pulled out a few specific papers.

"The grand estate in Southgate and the silk merchant shop on West Street. Excellent. These are all liquid assets," she said and nodded in approval, tucking the deeds into her bodice.

"Where is the rest?" she asked.

"Locked away in the main storehouse," I replied.

"Silly girl," she scolded me in a low voice, though it carried no malice. "How could you leave your personal wealth in the family's communal vault? Never mind that. It's too late to discuss it now."

She handed the heavy cloth sack of jewelry over to me. "Go pack your garments. Don't take those flashy, delicate gowns. Choose pieces that are sturdy and will endure travel. Then wrap up any ornaments and jade carvings that can be traded for coin."

Meanwhile, she produced another massive ring of keys from her garments.

That set was significantly larger and far more intricate than mine.

"Helen, what are those?" I asked.

"The master keys to the Stanton Manor," she spoke with a terrifying calm. "I have managed this estate for twenty years. I know exactly what lies within these walls, far better than Richard does.

"He spent his life fighting wars, while I spent mine accumulating wealth. Tonight, we are taking it all."

I was utterly stunned.

I assumed Helen was helping me flee a place of bitter memories.

Little did I know, she intended to empty the entire Stanton Manor.

My voice trembled. "They will notice."

Helen let out a sneer. "Notice? By the time they notice, we will be a thousand miles away. I have not cultivated my loyal servants for twenty years for nothing.

"Richard believes leading an army is a grand achievement. I will teach him that commanding a household requires far more ruthless skill than commanding soldiers."

She shoved a handful of keys into my palm. "These belong to the outer vaults. They contain the rewards he received from his recent campaigns. The gold and silver, we take it.

"In the hidden chamber of the east wing lie the antique relics and paintings accumulated by the Stanton family for generations. We take them. Beneath the western stables is a cellar I spent three years digging.

"It holds the actual silver reserves, entirely hidden from the official ledgers. We take it all."

I gripped the freezing keys, my palms slick with sweat.

The scale of this treason was so immense that I could barely comprehend it. We were tearing the whole manor out by its very roots.

Helen fixed her eyes on me. "Are you afraid?"

I met her gaze and shook my head firmly.

I wasn't afraid.

The moment Edward's eyes landed on Charlotte, my heart had died completely. Having surrendered all hope, I found I had nothing left to fear.

"I am not afraid," I told her.

The frost lingering on her expression melted, leaving behind a faint smile.

She patted my shoulder, whispering, "Good girl. Remember this. A woman can only rely on the wealth she holds in her own hands and on another woman sharing the exact same plight.

"Men? They act as if they are the heavens above. Let them float in the sky. We shall remain on the ground, and we will live far better than they ever could."

She finished speaking and wasted no more breath.

"Are your two maids trustworthy?" she asked.

I nodded. "Rose and Daisy have grown up by my side."

"Call them in. If we succeed tonight, they will come with us and enjoy a lifetime of wealth. If we fail, we will all die together. Let them make their own choice."

I pulled the door open to find Rose and Daisy standing guard outside, their faces etched with deep concern.

I relayed Helen's terms to them.

The two girls exchanged a single look and fell to their knees without a sliver of hesitation. "We will follow you," they said.

Helen nodded. "Excellent. Rose, go to the outer courtyard and find Jack Warren. Give this to him."

She handed over a worn jade pendant. "He will know exactly what to do. Daisy, come with me. Grace, stay here and pack everything you can carry. Move swiftly. We have only two hours."

The night was profoundly dark.

The entirety of the Stanton Manor was submerged in a drunken slumber.

Helen, my two maids, and I worked like phantoms in the shadows, executing a frantic and silent robbery.

I tore open every trunk, digging out the banknotes and gold leaves my mother had hidden at the bottom of my dowry chests, shoving them into a pouch worn tight against my skin.

Then came the garments, the jewelry, and any solitary item that could be exchanged for coin.

I spared a glance toward the study, where Edward kept his collection of priceless inkstones and the antique landscape paintings hanging on the wall.

I didn't want them. Those exquisite trinkets could stay here for his new bride, Charlotte.

I only wanted the money.

Two hours later, Helen and Daisy returned. Behind them followed two sturdy, silent female servants. Every single one of them was weighed down by heavy bundles.

A hint of exhaustion brushed Helen's face, yet her eyes shone brighter than ever.

"It's done," she stated. "Jack has brought every available carriage and horse to the rear gates. The remaining servants in the estate were each handed fifty silver pieces and dismissed entirely.

"By tomorrow morning, this grand manor will be nothing but a hollow shell."

I looked at her, a wave of indescribable awe rising in my chest.

Her strategy was flawless, leaking not a single drop of error.

Helen, the woman who had played the role of a virtuous wife and loving mother in Stanton Manor for two decades, harbored an arsenal of ruthless tactics I had never even begun to fathom.

"Let's go," Helen said.

At her command, the five of us, burdened with massive sacks, slipped silently across the courtyard toward the rear gates.

We didn't encounter a single soul along the way.

The entire manor was as silent as a tomb.