A carriage rolled to a stop before the Denton residence, the sound of its wheels crunching softly against the gravel announcing the arrival of a guest.
Standing just outside the entrance, Venetia Denton watched the carriage with a faint crease forming between her brows. She had not been expecting visitors that afternoon, and lately the only people who came calling were persistent suitors seeking her hand. The thought made a quiet sigh rise in her chest.
Dressed in a modest cream gown, her posture remained graceful despite her confusion. Her blonde hair had been neatly gathered into a bun at the back of her head, giving her an appearance of quiet elegance. Even so, she maintained the polite smile expected of a lady of her standing as she waited for the passenger to reveal themselves.
The coachman climbed down first. With practiced efficiency, he placed a small wooden stool beside the carriage door before reaching up to open it.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then a slender hand appeared, resting lightly against the frame as its owner stepped out.
The lady who emerged was dressed far more extravagantly than Venetia had anticipated. Her gown was a delicate shade of baby pink, the fabric flowing smoothly around her figure. Matching heels peeked from beneath the hem, and the jewelry adorning her neck and wrists glimmered softly in the afternoon light. Her blonde hair had been styled in loose, voluminous curls that fell gracefully over her shoulders.
A polite smile rested on her lips as her eyes lifted to meet Venetia's.
Venetia blinked in surprise.
Lady Tabitha Thel.
Confusion flickered through her expression for only a moment before she quickly recovered, stepping forward with proper courtesy.
"Lady Tabitha," she greeted warmly, inclining her head slightly. "This is quite an unexpected visit."
Tabitha returned the gesture with equal grace. "I hope I am not intruding."
"Not at all," Venetia replied, though the curiosity behind her eyes remained. "Please, come inside."
She stepped aside to allow her guest to enter.
Not long after, the two women were seated across from each other in the Denton sitting room. A tray had been arranged neatly on the small table between them, holding a pot of freshly brewed tea alongside a plate of delicate biscuits.
Each woman held a cup in her hands.
For a moment the room was quiet, filled only with the faint clink of porcelain as Venetia set her teacup back onto its saucer.
Though her smile remained composed, her mind was still turning over the question she had yet to ask.
What exactly had brought Lady Tabitha Thel to her home?
"What a lovely home you have, Lady Venetia," Tabitha said pleasantly as she glanced around the sitting room.
Her tone carried polite admiration, though her sharp eyes carefully took in every detail—the polished wooden furniture, the neatly arranged paintings on the walls, and the warm elegance of the space.
Venetia returned the compliment with a graceful nod. "Oh, thank you."
For a brief moment, both women sat in polite silence, the faint aroma of freshly brewed tea drifting between them.
Tabitha lifted her teacup delicately, her fingers resting against the porcelain as though the gesture itself had been rehearsed a hundred times. Her lips curved into a pleasant smile.
"I imagine you must be wondering why I came here so suddenly," she said.
Venetia did not deny it. Her polite expression remained fixed in place, though curiosity flickered in her eyes.
"Well," Tabitha continued, bringing the cup to her lips and taking a small sip, "Lady Christiana and I shared such an unforgettable conversation at the ball. I thought it would be lovely to continue it."
The moment Christiana's name was mentioned, Venetia's smile faltered.
It lasted only a heartbeat before she regained her composure.
"Oh… I'm terribly sorry to say this," she replied gently, "but my daughter has unfortunately come down with a rather dreadful cold."
She offered an apologetic look, lowering her gaze slightly as if saddened by the situation.
Tabitha watched her carefully.
She did not believe a word of it.
The lie was too convenient, too neatly presented.
A faint irritation stirred beneath Tabitha's calm exterior. So this was how the Dentons intended to behave now that their daughter had captured everyone's attention at the ball?
Had they begun to see themselves as above others already?
Perhaps that explained why Christiana had never been introduced to society before that evening. Why her existence had been hidden for so long. Why no one had ever heard the Dentons speak of their daughter until she suddenly appeared and stole the admiration of half the ballroom.
The corner of Tabitha's lips twitched slightly.
But she smoothed the reaction away almost instantly.
"Oh, that must be terrible!" she exclaimed with convincing concern. "I do hope she recovers soon."
Venetia offered a small nod of gratitude.
Silence soon settled between them again. The two women sipped their tea quietly, the clinking of porcelain cups the only sound filling the room.
After a while, Tabitha set her cup down.
"Pardon me," she said, rising from her seat with an apologetic smile. "But I'm afraid I've traveled quite a distance to come here. May I be shown to the ladies' room?"
"Oh, of course," Venetia replied immediately. "It's upstairs. At the end of the hall, to your left."
"Thank you."
Tabitha rose to her feet gracefully and smoothed the fabric of her pink gown before heading toward the staircase.
Her expression remained pleasant as she ascended the steps.
But the moment she reached the upper floor and glanced over the railing, she noticed that Venetia had turned her attention back to the tea table below.
The polite smile on Tabitha's face faded slightly.
Quietly, she began moving along the hallway.
Instead of heading straight to the ladies' room, she stopped at the first door and pressed the handle gently.
Locked.
She moved to the next one.
Her curiosity had grown far too strong to ignore.
If Christiana Denton was truly ill, she would surely be resting in one of these rooms.
And if she wasn't…
Then it would confirm exactly what Tabitha suspected—that the Dentons were deliberately hiding their daughter from her.
With careful steps, Tabitha continued down the hallway, testing each door one by one, determined to discover where the mysterious Christiana might be hiding.
"What are you doing?"
The sudden voice behind her made Tabitha jump.
Her hand flew to her chest as she spun around, her heart racing from the surprise. Standing a few steps away was a little girl, no older than six or seven. Her golden hair had been tied into two neat pigtails that bounced slightly as she shifted her weight, and she clutched a small doll tightly in her arms.
The child's large blue eyes stared up at Tabitha with innocent curiosity.
Realizing it was only a child, Tabitha slowly released the breath she had been holding.
"Oh," she said softly, placing a hand over her chest as she calmed herself. "Hello there."
A polite smile returned to her face as she crouched slightly to appear less intimidating.
"And who might you be?" she asked gently.
The little girl tilted her head to the side, studying Tabitha just as carefully.
"I'm Melody," she answered simply. "Who are you?"
Tabitha's smile widened, though her mind had already begun working again.
"Well, Melody," she replied smoothly, "my name is Tabitha. I'm a close friend of Christiana's."
As she spoke, Tabitha studied the child more closely.
The difference between them was obvious. Melody's skin was fair, while Christiana's had been dark. For a moment Tabitha wondered if the two girls were truly related.
Then she remembered Mr. Denton.
He had dark skin as well.
That meant the girl before her must be Christiana's younger sister.
"Can you tell me where I might find your big sister?" Tabitha asked, maintaining the same pleasant smile.
Melody shook her head immediately.
"I can't tell you."
Tabitha's smile faltered slightly.
A small frown formed on her face as confusion crossed her expression.
"Why not?" she asked.
Melody hugged her doll closer and shrugged.
"I don't know where she is," the child replied honestly. "Nobody knows where my big sister is."
Tabitha blinked.
Before she could ask another question, Melody continued speaking in the simple, careless way children often did.
"That's why Daddy went to the magistrate."
For a brief moment, Tabitha's eyes widened.
Then realization struck.
Christiana Denton wasn't hiding.
She was missing.
Excitement flickered across Tabitha's face before she quickly straightened herself, smoothing her expression as if nothing unusual had happened.
"Well," she said sweetly, "thank you, little one."
She gave Melody one last polite smile before turning toward the staircase.
"I shall take my leave."