After happening across Sibyl and Elsie, the week or so following Rick's arrival at Dunhall was uneventful. Since that first meeting, Rick had accompanied Elsie to or from Count Seymour’s study only a couple times. He’d barely spoken a word to either of them, and Sibyl never let on that she knew him. He doubted that she had even told Elsie.

Rick wondered if Count Seymour would mind that one of his temporary guards was related to his prized guest. Rick was happy to not be noticed, but he wouldn’t go out of his way to deny who he was. As long as the count didn’t suspect him of sabotage, Rick’s proximity to Sibyl and Elsie shouldn’t become a scandal.

Rick hadn’t seen Count Seymour in person since his mother’s passing. Though Rick and Henry were said to resemble each other (Edmond used to joke that it kept Rick out of trouble), Seymour showed no sign of recognizing him. More importantly, Seymour was undoubtedly aware of the distance between the two brothers. Their bickering had cooled in the years since Rick left home to join the Royal Guard, but they weren’t close.

One day, Rick was assigned to patrol the castle grounds with Ethan. When they reached an open stretch along the large lawn, Ethan casually looked around them and asked, “Your family owns Selby Hall, right? And it’s not far from here, in Windermere?

“Yep,” Rick said.

“Your brother is the lord now, right?”

Rick nodded.

“And your sister-in-law—” Ethan laughed when he saw Rick glaring at him from the corner of his eye. “Okay, okay. You know what I’m getting at.”

“Do I? But you were being so subtle,” Rick said sarcastically.

Ethan shrugged. “Figured I’d check before making accusations.”

Rick turned his glare fully on Ethan.

“I don’t mean accusation!” Ethan said hastily, throwing his hands up in front of him. “I was just surprised to that you could keep it to yourself for so long.”

“I’m here on the king’s orders, and so are they. That's all.”

“It’s messed up though, Rick. Those sessions are rough on her—on Elsie.” Ethan blew out a big breath, shaking his head. “I had to carry her back to her mom once because she was about to fall asleep standing up. She’s come out crying a few times, too.”

That was news to Rick. Truth be told, Ethan probably saw Elsie a lot more than he did. Rick did his best to avoid being put on escort duty. He didn’t like the way Sibyl looked at him, and he didn’t like the way Elsie looked at nothing.

“Come to think of it, didn’t you stop by your home before coming here? That was definitely after they got here.”

Rick didn’t answer him. Ethan had a way of spinning his own story out of nothing. It was easier to tune him out than to interfere.

“Was your brother there? What did he say?” Ethan asked.

Ethan went quiet for a moment, presumably deep in thought. His pace slowed enough to put him several steps behind Rick.

Suddenly, Ethan jogged up and leaned in conspiratorially. “Are you planning a jailbreak?” he asked in a loud whisper.

“You’re mad,” Rick said, pushing him away. An unpleasant heat flushed through Rick’s body. A rumor like that could get him killed.

“Harry would probably help you do it,” said Ethan. “It’s okay, we wouldn’t miss him.”

“Or me, apparently,” Rick said, rolling his eyes.

“Of course not,” Ethan said brightly.

On Rick’s first day in Dunhall, Ethan had called Elsie the count’s “new favorite,” and it seemed he was right. As far as Rick had seen, no other test subjects were housed in the castle long-term. Some stayed overnight and were excused the next day. Only Sibyl and Elsie had their own set of rooms.

The next time Rick was tasked with delivering Elsie to the count’s study, Rick saw her to the door then immediately backtracked to find Sibyl. He knocked without giving himself a chance to change his mind.

Sibyl seemed surprised to see him, but invited him inside after a quick glance up and down the hallway.

Inside, Sibyl sat down on the padded bench in front of the vanity. Rick stayed standing in the center of the room. He took off his cap and fidgeted with it, hesitating.

“What brings you here, Rick?” Sibyl asked.

“It’s past time I said hello, I thought,” Rick said.

“Well, thank you for coming.” A tired smile quirked at her lips, and Rick had the unpleasant sense that she was laughing at him.

“Why did the count bring you here?” he asked.

“To help us, or so he says. I’m sure you know about Elsie’s outburst.”

“I spoke to Henry,” he said.

Sibyl inhaled sharply.

“Before I came here,” he clarified. “He was convinced that Seymour was partly responsible for the accident.”

“This is… not the first time Count Seymour has shown an interest in my family. He visited my parents when I was a child. He heard about my outbursts and wanted to see for himself.”

“How did he find you?”

“I knocked the cooper’s son into a ditch. I believe that is what got his attention.”

“That one does stand out,” Rick said.

“As I said, when my parents died, he brought me to Selby Hall to meet your parents.”

“What on earth for?” Rick asked.

Sibyl looked surprised. “Seymour arranged my marriage to Henry.” She tilted her head like a dog. “You didn’t know this?”

No, Rick did not know that.

“He said that he knew something about my great-great-grandfather—that I was descended from a great family.”

Rick nearly snorted. “That’s nonsense.”

Sibyl scowled, and a little color showed on her cheeks. “I agree. But it’s not impossible. As far back as I ever knew, my family can be traced to a baby who was dropped off in the village with no explanation. We don’t know where he came from, but Seymour believed… he suspected that the infant was being hidden, not discarded.”

Rick scoffed. “Seymour is a madman. That’s all this is.”

She nodded and fiddled with a ring around her finger. “It seems he is. Somehow, he persuaded your parents that my bloodline was valuable. Your father was interested in Seymour’s work back then. They weren’t happy about it, but they agreed to marry me to Henry.”

“And Elsie inherited magic from you. Is that where this is going?” Rick asked, faintly disgusted. Could this plan really go back so far? The idea that Seymour could have been deliberately breeding test subjects was not a pleasant one. Rick remembered that his own parents were complicit and immediately found a chair to drop into.

Sibyl explained, “I’m not the first person in my family to have been cursed with magic, but Elsie is the worst I’ve ever seen.”

Just then, there was a knock on the door. They both startled, and Sibyl looked at Rick with wide eyes. Elsie wasn’t due back yet.

Sibyl rose to answer the door, motioning for him to stay back. Rick did so, not particularly wanting to be found in her rooms. He gripped the arms of his chair in preparation to stand, wavering between staying put and moving farther out of sight. It hardly mattered; if someone came in, they were bound to see him either way.

The door opened and Rick heard soft sniffling.

“Oh, my dear!” Sibyl exclaimed. The crying got louder.

“I’m sorry, my lady,” a maid said. “It seems Miss Elsie had a tough time of it today.”