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He was nearly home, for now

Alice Walters stared at the scene in front of her with dismay ‘What happened?’ she asked as a couple of holly berries floated past on a strea in the main hall of Thornwood Castle

‘Penelope was filling vases ater to add soreenery we collected froht across her chest The frown that seemed to have taken up permanent residence on her forehead since Rose died looked even deeper than usual ‘Apparently she got distracted’

‘And forgot to turn off the tap’ It wasn’t the first tiot distracted Alice supposed she should be used to it by now ‘Where’s Danielle?’

‘No idea,’ Heather said, the words clipped ‘You know, for an assistant she doesn’t seem to be very much help’

Alice sighed She’d noticed the saer to give her a hand with the admin and such at Thornwood, mostly to help her earn a part-tiht and happy to be there But over the last few ht, well, we’d better get the mops out He’ll be here any minute’

‘Our new lord and master,’ Heather said, distaste obvious in her tone ‘I can’t wait’

‘He ht not be that bad’ Alice headed towards the nearest store cupboard and pulled out a mop and bucket Given the nu over the last few years, they always tried to keep supplies close at hand For a once grand house, the place leaked like a sieve and was impossible to keep war himself in for ‘Rose wouldn’t have left him the castle if he was’

‘Wouldn’t she?’ Heather took the mop from her and attempted to soak up sos and cloths to absorb the worst of it ‘He’s the last of the line—illegitiht about him She’d leave him the castle because that’s what tradition said she had to do And you kno she felt about tradition—at least you should You spent enough ti with her about it’

‘I did,’ Alice said, sighing again As if an indoor river wasn’t bad enough, she had the prospect of spending herthe nener of Thornwood Castle around the wreck he’d inherited

Rosewith, but she’d been prag the world had to throw at theht not have liked the suggestions that Alice put forward about how to keep the castle alive and running, but she’d been willing to grit her teeth and bear it, if it meant that her hoeneration, as so , Alice was sure, Rose just hadn’t wanted to be the one to let it go

But what about her great-nephew? He was the unknown quantity Would he care enough about Thornwood to ith the? Or would he sell it to the first Russian oligarch who offered hiures for it?

Alice supposed she’d find out soon enough

Not that it mattered to her Not really There was alork for a woanised, inventive, effective and productive—and Alice s Rose had written her a glowing reference before she died, just in case she needed it Alice would have no proble a new job—a new project to dive into and find a way totier than she’d planned Nor forward to it Except

‘Alice?’ Penelope stuck her head around the door, her eyes huge and wide in her thin, pale face Sixteen and already so disillusioned by life, Penelope—and all the

other girls and women like her—was the only reason Alice was reluctant to leave Thornwood The castle ht not be her home, but it was the only place some of the wo so sohts But here at Thornwood she wasa difference And that counted for a lot

‘What is it, Penelope?’ Alice asked when the girl didn’t say anything further

Slipping into the hall, Penelope wrapped her oversized grey cardigan around herself, her ar over herblack four-by-four’ Her eyes slid away from Alice’s as she spoke

Alice and Heather exchanged a quick glance

‘That’ll be hirab those cloths from Alice and do your best to ot to’

Penelope did as she was told, just like she always did—without question, without coht just look up and say, ‘No’ One day

Hopefully not today, though, as they really did need to clear up the mini flood

Alice wiped her daht then I’d better’ She flapped a hand towards the entrance hall

Heather nodded ‘You go Go meet the beast’

Alice rolled her eyes ‘He ht be lovely!’

‘You keep telling yourself that,’ Heather said, turning away to help Penelope with the re puddles ‘Just because I’ve never ht not be the one who broke the mould’

‘Exactly,’ Alice said, hoping she sounded more certain than she felt ‘And, at the very least, we have to give him a chance’

She just hoped that he gave her—and Heather, and Penelope, and all the others—a chance too