Page 58 of A Shadow Amongst the Roses
The sensation followed Eliza as she moved through the corridors. It lingered at the hinges of doors, collected in corners where the light thinned, pressed close in rooms that should have felt familiar. The Hall was alert. Watchful. She had lived here long enough to recognize the shift.
Something was being kept from her.
At first, she suspected it was the residue of Mrs. Havisham’s visit. But as she crossed the great hall toward Hollis’s office, the signs increased.
A footman paused too long before answering her question.
A housekeeper curtsied with a glance that slipped quickly away.
Mrs. Greaves hesitated, choosing her words before releasing them.
“Lady Thornhaven, I believe Mr. Ashwood wished to speak with you later, when it is convenient for him.”
Convenient for him.
Eliza offered a polite smile and continued on, but the phrasing lodged like a thorn beneath her ribs. Ashwood did not summon her. He did not decide when she might be informed of estate matters. That had never been the arrangement.
She knocked once at Hollis’s door and entered.
Ashwood sat behind his desk, quill poised above a ledger he closed the moment she stepped over the threshold. His expression was one of practiced concern.
“Lady Thornhaven,” he said. “A pleasure, as always.”
“Mr. Ashwood.” Eliza did not sit. “I understand there are tenant matters requiring attention.”
He blinked, feigning mild surprise. “Oh? I was under the impression His Grace wished me to handle those directly.”
“His Grace has expressed no such change to me.”
Ashwood offered a small, apologetic shrug. “Perhaps an oversight. You have so many demands on your time. I thought it best not to trouble you with every minor issue.”
Eliza kept her breath steady. “Minor issues become major when ignored.”
His smile tightened. “Of course. I shall continue to keep you… informed… when necessary.”
The pause was deliberate. The message unmistakable.
You do not need to know everything.
“I would like the current tenant reports,” Eliza said. “All of them.”
His gaze flickered. Just long enough to be noticed.
“The reports are not entirely ready.”
“Then I will review what you have.”
“Some documents are not presentable.”
“Then I will determine their presentability.”
A thin line appeared at the corner of his mouth. Not quite defiance. Not quite submission.
“Lady Thornhaven,” he said with a tone bordering on patronizing, “I assure you I have the situation well in hand.”
Eliza met his gaze without blinking. “You are an assist to Mr. Hollis, the estate steward, Mr. Ashwood. You do not replace him. You are not the master. Bring me the reports.”
Silence settled between them.
