Leo arrived at the manor on a gray Tuesday afternoon, and Ruby knew something was wrong the moment she saw him.
He was young—maybe nineteen or twenty—with dark, intense eyes and the kind of restless energy that came from carrying too many secrets. He was clutching a portfolio to his chest like it was the only thing keeping him alive. His hands were shaking, and his face was pale beneath the freckles that dotted his cheeks.
Ruby was in the garden when Mrs. MacLeod brought him out. She looked up from her pruning, her hands covered in soil, and saw the fear in his eyes. It was the same fear she'd seen in Sarah's eyes, in Emily's eyes. The fear of someone who had been carrying too much for too long.
"Mrs. Sterling?" His voice was barely a whisper. "I'm Leo. I'm one of the artists in the retreat program. I—" He paused, swallowing hard. "I need to talk to you. It's important. Life-or-death important."
