I hurried inside, my heart pounding with a mixture of fear and exhilaration. While I'd enjoyed the flash of triumph in putting Clara in her place, I knew my brief victory would come at a cost. Clara never let any slight go unpunished.
The manor's gloomy corridors seemed to close in around me as I made my way back to my room. My bedchamber was the smallest in the house, tucked away in the east wing where guests never ventured. I slipped inside, carefully locking the door behind me.
"Well, that was interesting," I whispered to myself, leaning against the door.
Duke Alaric Thorne had actually considered my proposal. The man everyone called a monster had been more civil to me than my own family. His eyes had been sharp and calculating, yes, but there was something else there—intelligence, perhaps even curiosity.
Surely a true monster wouldn't have bothered to listen to me at all.
My stomach growled loudly, reminding me that I hadn't eaten since morning. Normally, one of the servants would bring a tray to my room, but today—no surprise—it hadn't arrived. Either Clara or Lady Beatrix had likely intercepted it.
I waited until the house quieted, the sounds of the party fading as guests departed. The grandfather clock in the hall struck nine. Most of the household would be settling in for the evening, including my family, who never concerned themselves with my whereabouts once company had gone.
When I was certain it was safe, I slipped out of my room and headed toward the kitchen. The servants' corridors were poorly lit, but I knew them well from years of sneaking around to avoid Clara and Lady Beatrix.
The kitchen was chaotic when I entered, with dishes piled high and servants rushing to clean up after the party. Their faces registered shock at my appearance—I rarely ventured into their domain.
"Miss Isabella!" Matteo, the cook, spotted me from across the room. A heavyset man with kind eyes and flour permanently dusting his sleeves, he'd been one of the few staff members who'd shown me kindness over the years.
"I didn't get dinner," I said simply.
Matteo's expression darkened. "Again?" He waved the other servants away, and they quickly found reasons to busy themselves elsewhere. "This is the third time this week. I sent up a perfectly good tray with Jane."
"I suspect it was intercepted."
He sighed. "Come with me."
Rather than leading me to the dining table in the servants' hall, Matteo gestured for me to follow him out the back door into the kitchen garden. The night air was crisp, and I pulled my shawl tighter around my shoulders.
"Better we talk out here," he said, his breath forming clouds in the cold air. "Too many ears inside, if you know what I mean."
I nodded. Some of the newer servants were eager to curry favor with Clara and Lady Beatrix.
"This party today," Matteo shook his head in disgust. "All that food, all that waste, just so your sister could parade herself in front of the Duke. Your father's spending money he doesn't have."
"I know."
"The suppliers are threatening to cut us off. Lady Beatrix ordered the finest champagne, beluga caviar—" he threw up his hands. "Meanwhile, they 'forget' to feed you."
I changed the subject, not wanting to dwell on my family's cruelties. "I spoke with the Duke today."
Matteo's eyebrows shot up. "Did you now? What was he like? People say—"
"People say many things about me too," I interrupted gently. "Most of them untrue."
He nodded thoughtfully. "Fair point. Still, the Duke has a reputation. They say he's ruthless in business, that he's ruined men who crossed him. They say the King uses him to handle... difficult situations."
"He listened to me," I said simply. "That's more than most people do."
Matteo studied me. "You're planning something."
I hesitated, then nodded. "Tomorrow, I need to leave the house without anyone knowing."
"To see him?" Matteo asked, surprised.
"Yes. I may have found a way out of here, Matteo." I couldn't bring myself to tell him the details of my desperate proposal. "A way to escape."
His eyes brightened. "Good. You deserve better than this place, Miss Isabella." He glanced back at the house. "You know they're planning to send you away soon? To your aunt in the countryside."
My heart sank. "I suspected as much." My aunt was even more reclusive than I was, living on a remote estate with only two servants. It would be like being buried alive.
"If the Duke can help you..." Matteo hesitated. "Just be careful. Men like him always want something in return."
"I'm well aware," I said, not bothering to hide the bitterness in my voice. "I need two favors from you, Matteo."
"Name them."
"First, can you speak to Thomas about taking me to Thornewood Manor tomorrow at eleven? Without telling anyone?"
Matteo nodded. "The old coachman owes me a favor. And second?"
"Food," I said with a small smile. "I'm famished."
He laughed. "That I can certainly provide. Wait here."
As Matteo disappeared back into the kitchen, I leaned against the garden wall. A small sound caught my attention—a pitiful mewing from behind a barrel. I bent down to find a tiny kitten, cold and trembling.
"Hello there," I whispered, carefully lifting the small creature. It was a scrawny little thing with matted gray fur and bright blue eyes. "Are you all alone too?"
The kitten mewed again, pressing against my hand for warmth. I tucked it inside my shawl, feeling its tiny heart beating against my chest.
"We'll figure something out," I murmured, stroking its head with my finger.
I closed my eyes, feeling the kitten's warmth. For a moment, I allowed myself to imagine a different life—one where I could attend parties without fear, dance and laugh without my mask, enjoy simple pleasures without whispers following me. In this daydream, I wasn't the cursed daughter, the bad omen. I was just Isabella.
The sound of Matteo's footsteps pulled me back to my lonely reality. He carried a plate piled high with cold meats, cheese, and bread, along with a small jug of cider.
"What's that you've found?" he asked, noticing the bundle in my shawl.
"A stray," I said, showing him the kitten. "Like me."
Matteo's expression softened. "Keep it if you like. We've got mice in the pantry anyway—might grow up to be a good mouser."
"Thank you," I said, taking the plate and jug from him. "For everything."
"Tomorrow at eleven," he confirmed. "Thomas will be waiting with the small carriage by the east gate. Lady Beatrix is visiting her sister, and your father will be meeting with his solicitor. Clara has her music lesson until noon."
I nodded, grateful for his detailed knowledge of my family's schedule. "This might be my last night here, Matteo."
"I hope so, Miss Isabella." He squeezed my arm gently. "I truly do."
As I made my way back to my room, the kitten nestled against me and food balanced carefully in my hands, I felt something I hadn't experienced in years—anticipation. Tomorrow could change everything.
Whether Duke Alaric Thorne was a monster or not, he represented my only chance for freedom. And for that, I was willing to make a deal with the devil himself.