Page 17 of No Ordinary Lady

But Danny sounded happy to be home as he laughed again and teased the oldest lady, revealing the great fondness he’d told Marian of last night when he’d spoken of his granny. But to the other regal older woman, he said not a word in jest. That must be his disapproving mother he’s spoken of with such sadness in his voice.

Another male voice suddenly joined in the quartet and that moved Marian back from the window a bit farther still for a while. When she dared take another peek, she noticed several other dignified people standing about in the chamber. All of them were focused on Danny’s splendid figure, too.

He appeared to be holding court, and Marian sighed at how refined they all seemed. From the cut of their clothes, the riches adorning each woman, it was clear they were all very wealthy. How nice it must be to have acquaintances like that. Refined men and women. No danger, no hardship, no fear of betrayal.

For all her life, Marian had had little to do with women her own age or of higher status. When Beatrice had joined their group, she’d thought they’d become friends and allies for a while, but she soon discovered they were nothing like each other.

With the life she led, it wasn’t wise to trust anyone with the details of her situation, and she’d been proven right repeatedly.

She turned her attention back to the older pair of women as she settled to her knees by the glass and confirmed a similarity in their features to Danny’s. The grandmother was more expressive, smiled and laughed more often than her daughter beside her.

She turned her attention back to the younger woman in the room. She was truly beautiful in her gown of pure white, and it was obviously costly. She kept throwing a shy smile at Danny, but he hadn’t seemed to notice yet. She bore no resemblance to the older ladies, though, and Marian wondered who she was. Perhaps she was the bride at the wedding Danny talked of attending, because she recalled no mention of any other woman living in his home. Yet the woman seemed to hang on every word Danny uttered tonight.

Marian narrowed her eyes on the woman, deciding she must be a neighbor as a blush suddenly colored her cheeks and her fan fluttered artfully before her face. Danny hadn’t mentioned who was actually getting married, but she was getting a suspicious feeling about this gathering. She shook it away, determined not to let her imagination run away with itself.

But how was she to return the ring to Danny with so many loitering about him tonight? Did she dare to try, or should she wait until morning?

She glanced behind her toward the entry door. No one seemed to have heard her knock, and it was so dark out here now that no one could even see her if they came outside.

Marian could prowl around the manor house and remain completely undetected if she was careful. She was loath to interrupt so happy an evening, but the ring must be returned one way or another. She backed away from the window and, once beyond the pool of light spilling out, she skirted the house, looking for a way in.

An unlatched window was often the most forgotten entry point, second to an unlocked door. If she could find one open close by, she could sneak in, find Danny’s study, and leave his ring on his desk. Assuming he had a desk.

Or a better idea might be to find his bedchamber instead and leave it on his pillow. Given the number of guest lurking about, it was unlikely he or any member of the family might venture upstairs soon. At least then he would be the one to find the ring and he might never know she’d had it.

Deciding the latter was the better option, she circled the house, testing windows and doors all the way round. The only way in ended up being via a door on the back side of the very room where everyone was gathered.

She was grateful for the easy access, but equally annoyed by it. Hadn’t Danny learned anything from their time together? He ought to be more careful, even here. The side door stood open to let in the night air, with no one even guarding it.

She moved away from that doorway and crouched down beside a marble statue, out of sight of anyone who might decide to take a breath of fresh night air. But after half an hour, no one came out and Marian stood tall again. Why would anyone like them imagine someone like her was watching? They must all believe themselves protected by their wealth and servants, though Marian had seen only the one in the room with them so far.

She moved closer to hear the conversation, grateful that she was uniquely skilled at moving about unobserved when she wanted to.

Given the talk of politics going on, she reasoned she’d have to wait a little longer, and used the time to discreetly study the layout and contents of the chamber. There were deep-cushioned chairs, tables, and settees and even a pianoforte, and beyond that, two separate doors leading deeper into the house. But where they might go, Marian couldn’t immediately tell.

The other rooms had been so dark that she’d learned nothing of their contents or purpose when she’d looked for an unlocked window. Which way she should go once inside was not at all clear.

She glanced back at the people in the room with Danny and noticed the butler had vanished.

Her chance to enter came five minutes later when the butler reappeared, and dinner was announced. There was a lot of milling about and conversation as they headed for the door.

Eventually they shuffled from the room, Danny taking the arm of the young woman and the others, talking loudly to each other.

The butler went with them, and knowing this might be her only chance, Marian slipped inside, only to duck behind the nearest large piece of furniture, listening as footsteps returned in a hurry.

The butler closed the previously open door and locked it as well. But he never saw her, and he left again.

When the room was silent at last, Marian got to her feet and looked around her. She was inside a brightly lit square room filled with riches beyond her wildest dreams.

Her uncle would want her to steal anything of value she could carry if he knew where she was tonight. But everything looked so perfect and in their right places that she wasn’t even tempted.

She headed instead for the doorway no one had yet used. Marian entered a long moonlit corridor, with velvet curtains hanging at every window and dozens of paintings on the opposite wall. Carved busts interspersed between the portraits, creating a palace-like atmosphere. She moved slowly, quietly, glancing left and right and behind her repeatedly, ready as ever to hide herself at a moment’s notice if need be.

She encountered no one in the long hall, or until she reached the far doorway. Then she heard footsteps headed her way and hid herself quick smart. But no one appeared, and she took a risk to look out again.

This long hall seemed to connect to an area under a grand staircase that went up and up and up. Someone heavy footed was moving around on the other side of it, out of her immediate line of sight.

She held to her place, assured she was sufficiently hidden for now…