Page 75 of An Unwanted Spinster for the Duke

Marianne almost corrected her—exploring didn’t need to be a game—but what was she worried about, really?

“All right, then,” she relented with a sigh. Her sisters’ hopeful faces reminded her of happier times, before she was married, before everything had become so difficult. “Clara will accompany you, of course. Everywhere on the estate is fair, but no going upstairs, no venturing into the west wing, and leave the servants’ quarters alone—some of the servants may be resting.”

“Yes, Marianne,” the twins chorused.

Wilhelmina raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. Marianne simply shrugged, and her sixteen-year-old sister rolled her eyes heavenward, sighing like someone thrice her age.

“I will accompany them, Your Grace,” Clara said with quiet assurance. Her tone was calm but firm—an unspoken promise.

“Thank you, Clara.”

“Remember,you’repart of this, Marianne!” Victoria called out with an impish grin. It sounded suspiciously like a threat.

“Don’t worry. I’ll count.”

True to her word, Marianne turned to the wall, resting her forehead gently against it and squeezing her eyes shut. She began to count—loudly and slowly—to give the girls time to run.

Their giggles echoed down the hallway, joined by the thump of hurried footsteps and the creak of distant doors.

For the first time in ages, Oakmere sounded alive.

Marianne counted to fifty, stopping long after the last giggle faded. Then, she turned and set off to seek them. Wilhelmina and Clara trailed behind. Neither had tried to hide, but they were playing along for the younger girls’ sake.

They found Daphne easily. She was in the music room, hiding behind the velvet curtains, her feet clearly visible underneath.

Marianne had to smother a laugh as she pulled the curtain aside. “Caught you!”

Daphne shrieked in delight, more pleased than disappointed.

“You’re a hopeless conspirator,” Wilhelmina teased, nudging her younger sister. “Come on, let’s get you to the drawing room. Stay there and read. We’ll find the other menace.”

Daphne nodded agreeably, settling in with Wilhelmina’s book.

The rest of them moved on. Marianne thought she heard something in the library and raised a finger to her lips. Clara and Wilhelmina went still, excitement brightening their faces. Perhaps Victoria had picked an obvious spot, after all.

They crept into the library. A shadow seemed to flicker beneath the writing desk. Marianne’s pulse quickened with anticipation—and wariness. Victoria didn’t always take losing well.

She knelt and looked under the desk.

But there was no Victoria, only a pair of forgotten knitting needles.

“I really thought she went this way,” Marianne murmured, frowning.

Perhaps it had been too easy. Victoria wasnevereasy. Even as a baby, she’d wailed and kicked and kept them all awake.

Room by room, they continued searching—the dining room, under the stairs, behind the grandfather clock—but Victoria was nowhere to be found.

“Your Grace,” Clara said tightly, “I believe I should alert the staff.”

Marianne nodded, forcing calm into her voice. “Go on ahead. Start with the housemaids.”

Clara curtsied quickly and vanished down the corridor.

Marianne remained still for a moment, her hand drifting to her throat.

She couldn’t breathe.

Panic was settling in now, slow but sure, like a shadow stretching across the floor.