The moment I stepped down into the lower corridor, my confidence deflated like a flat tyre. A long, dim hallway stretched out before me, lined with a seemingly endless row of identical plain wooden doors.
Great. Just great!
I mentally facepalmed myself. I had absolutely no idea which room belonged to Mary. My only option was to peek into each room one by one without waking a single soul, or else I would be caught red-handed prowling the servants' halls like a lunatic in a dark velvet cape.
Taking a deep, steadying breath, I crept toward the first door and pushed it open a fraction of an inch, my heart hammering against my ribs. Inside, a chorus of loud, rhythmic snoring echoed into the dark.
I squinted through the gloom, trying to match the silhouettes to Mary's profile, but the sheer volume of the snores sent me retreating back into the hallway, terrified the noise itself would wake the rest of the house.
