The house had not changed, but Diana noticed it more.
That was the first thing that unsettled her.
The spacing of the furniture, the lighting, the movement of staff that never disrupted the line of sight across the main hall—everything remained exactly as it had been before. It had always been designed this way. Clean, precise, intentional. A place where nothing was out of place unless it was meant to be.
She stood just inside the entrance longer than necessary, her coat still on, her hand resting against the strap of her bag as if she had forgotten what she was supposed to do next.
Nicholas had already gone ahead, his small footsteps echoing before disappearing into the inner rooms. One of the staff greeted him, their voice soft, familiar. He responded quickly, the sound of it carrying a kind of ease that did not reach her.
