Evening had crept over Eldhollow with its usual veil of fog and rain-damp chill. The moon hung behind heavy clouds, casting only a dim silver hue upon the land as Lord Julian Ravenshade stepped down from his black carriage, boots meeting the stone with quiet finality.
His cloak stirred gently behind him. His eyes, sharp as ever, scanned the familiar walls of his ancestral manor.
Keeper Jan greeted him before the door had even fully closed.
"Welcome, my Lord," she said with her usual curtsy, her tone light but her expression betraying surprise.
"Evening, Jan," Julian said, voice low but unusually soft. "How was the day?"
Jan blinked once. Twice. To make sure it was the right person standing in front of her.
He never asked. Not like that. Not with genuine interest laced into the cold steel of his voice.
"The day went… well, my Lord," she replied carefully.
Julian nodded. "Miss Grantham?"
"She left in the morning after a cup of coffee," Jan answered.
