She nods, flipping a piece of toast onto a plate. "Sit down, Miss, I’ll get it for you."
I hesitate to sit in the kitchen. I wasn’t brought up to be so informal as to sit with the kitchen staff. But the smell of coffee is too enticing, and my exhaustion wins over my suspicion. I pull out a chair at the island, watching as she pours a steaming cup and sets it in front of me.
"Thanks," I murmur, wrapping my hands around the warm ceramic.
"Of course, Miss.”
I take a slow sip of the coffee, closing my eyes briefly as the rich bitterness spreads over my tongue. It’s incredible.
When I open my eyes, the maid is watching me.
I clear my throat, and she quickly looks away. "Do you happen to know where Hayden is?"
The maid doesn't look up from the pan, cracking an egg with a practiced flick of her wrist. "Master Herron doesn’t report his comings and goings to the kitchen staff, Miss."
My grip tightens around the mug at her tone. "Yes, but would you possibly happen to know where he’s gone?" I press.
She finally spares me a glance and continues cooking, “I’m not sure.”
She moves with swift efficiency, reaching for a large ceramic bowl and filling it with fresh fruit: plump, red berries of various sizes, a large whipped drizzle of cream pooling between them.She sets it in front of me with a nod. "Here’s this for now while I finish fixing everything else."
I glance down at the bowl. The fruit's colors are vibrant against the cream, and its scent is fresh and sweet. I pick up the spoon, stir the mixture lightly, then take a bite. It’s perfect. It’s my favorite breakfast. How would she know that?
“Did Hayden instruct you to make this for me?”
“Of course, Miss.” She says with a hum and returns to work.
I exhale through my nose, biting back my frustration just when I had resolved to confront him. Just when I needed answers. The thought grates me, gnawing at the fragile sense of control I had built in my head. But maybe…maybe this is an opportunity.
If his maddening obsession, laced with something dangerously close to disdain, is going to be my undoing, I might as well find a way to benefit from it.
If he isn’t here, then I can move freely, at least for now.
I take another bite of the fruit, chewing slowly as I consider my next move. "When is he coming back?"
The maid shrugs, flipping another egg. "Could be hours, could be days. Hard to say."
My stomach twists. "Does he leave frequently?"
"Lately? More often than not," she says, sliding the egg onto a plate. "Spent most of his time at Eulogia the past year."
I frown, gripping my spoon a little tighter. I hadn’t known that. And now, a new question lodges itself in my mind, one I don’t like the answer to.
If he’s been in Eulogia all this time…why hadn’t I noticed?
She slides another plate in front of me, full of eggs, toast, and bacon. I devour it, still starving from going to bed without dinner.
I finish the last sip of my coffee, setting the cup down with a quiet clink. The warmth lingers in my chest, but it does nothing to settle the restless energy thrumming under my skin.
“That’s it for now. Thank you.”
I can’t just sit here, waiting. If Hayden is gone, then I need to take advantage of it.
Instead, I smooth my sweater down, adjusting my jeans at the loops before turning toward the doorway.
The estate is massive, and I have no idea what I’m looking for…answers, maybe. Or simply a thread of reality to hold onto. Either way, I intend to find it.
At best, I’ll find a stable full of horses, one that I can steal and ride straight to freedom. At worst, I’ll at least get to pet one, which seems like a decent consolation prize. It’s not exactly a flawless plan, but I start on it nonetheless.
