Chapter 2 - Shadows in the Marble Foyer
The corridor smelled of damp plaster and old stone, far removed from the floral warmth of the ballroom. Victoria pulled Clara through the heavy mahogany service doors, the heavy brass latch clicking shut with the finality of a prison cell.
"Arthur, keep the doors," Victoria commanded without looking back. Her heart hammered against her ribs like a trapped bird.
Arthur gave a curt nod, his tall frame blocking the narrow frosted window of the door. "You have ten minutes before Senator Vance notices your absence, Victoria. The press is already asking about the delay in the toast."
Victoria ignored him. She dropped to one knee, the thousands of glass beads on her gown scraping harshly against the cold checkerboard tiles. She grabbed Clara’s narrow shoulders, gripping them tighter than she intended.
"Who gave you that seal, Clara?" Victoria’s voice wavered, the veneer of aristocratic indifference entirely gone. "Your mother... Helena... she was supposed to be across the border. She swore to me she would never let you near this city."
Clara stared back, unblinking. There was an unnerving stillness in the child, a calm that felt far too ancient for ten years of age. She held the envelope out between them. The red wax was stamped with an emblem Victoria recognized instantly: the coroner’s private signet, used only for confidential inquests.
"She didn't give it to me," Clara whispered. "The man with the scarred hand brought it to the house three nights ago. He told me Mama was sleeping in the cold room by the river. He told me to come here before they burned her."
Victoria felt a cold sweat prickling along her hairline. The scarred hand. Julian.
Twelve years ago, Julian Vance—her husband’s estranged brother—had been cast out of the family empire for crimes spoken of only in hushed courtrooms. If Julian had found Helena, then Clara’s presence here was not a desperate plea for maternal recognition. It was an execution order disguised as a reunion.
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"Clara, listen to me," Victoria whispered, her hands shaking as she took the envelope. "We have to leave. Right now. You cannot stay in this building."
Before Clara could answer, the heavy service door behind Arthur shuddered under a sudden, violent strike.
