Focused on her surroundings, on every squeak of the floorboard above and every rattle of the windows as the rain droplets continued their assault, Grace was not nearly as focused on the gentleman as she supposed she ought to be. She only swung her head around to look at him as he spoke, and she stared at him with wide, alarmed eyes. No talking, she wanted to say, but knew that it would only add more unnecessary noise. No, she couldn't risk it.

She gave his sleeve a gentle tug and motioned to the corner up ahead. It was the last turn before the door, but she knew that they would be in full view of anyone who wanted to see them. The stairwell was around the corner, as was the entranceway into the dining room, as was the main foyer. She moved slowly, her heartbeat increasing with every step. This should not have become such a dramatic ordeal; if she had only screamed like a proper young lady would upon being faced with a mysterious man, the whole situation could have been solved by a family member or servant. She'd made it messy, though, and so she had no choice but to fix her own problem.

They reached the corner, and Grace craned her head around the wall to the sight of an empty foyer. They were still in the clear. She took a breath to move around the corner, but, living up to her childhood nickname, her toes slammed into the side of his foot and she stumbled forward.

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