By the time the light began to soften, the estate had quieted.
The activity of the day settled into something less immediate, with servants moving where they were needed but without the earlier urgency, and conversations no longer carrying beyond where they were meant to stay. Even the air felt different, as though the weight of the afternoon had eased into something calmer.
I stepped into the garden without announcing myself.
It wasn't empty.
Darius stood near the far end, his attention set somewhere beyond the visible, or perhaps on everything at once. It was difficult to tell with him. He didn't turn when I approached, but I knew he was aware of me long before I reached him.
"You left before it ended," I said.
"I heard enough."
That sounded right.
I stopped beside him, close enough that I did not need to raise my voice, leaving the distance between us as it was rather than adjusting it.
For a moment, neither of us spoke, and the quiet held without pressure.
