Clara relished the rare afternoon tea and quiet reading time, savoring every moment of relaxation. Her initial panic over Mabel's sudden disappearance had ebbed away when she learned that the child was with Isabella.
Trusting Isabella's capability to gather herbs and materials in the forest while looking after Mabel, Clara had found solace in her book. However, her serenity was shattered by a sudden sound that jolted her from her reverie.
Startled, she shut her book and noticed Isabella's agitated familiar repeatedly crashing into her window. Clara hastened to open one of the windows, allowing the distressed eagle to enter.
A gnawing sense of foreboding settled in her chest; she knew that when the familiar was without its master, something was gravely amiss.
As Clara took the letter the eagle carried, her face drained of color. Urgency gripped her, and she dashed off to find Charles since Duke Caius was not in the mansion at the time.
