"You told us you are staying inside your room," her stepmother said as she dragged Maxine down the empty corridor.

Maxine grimaced. "I did, but I did not say I might change my mind," she replied, voice low.

"I do not know what I should do with you, truly," Lady Theobald said with frustration. "Your father and I are—"

"Do not worry, Lady Theobald," she interjected and for a second saw the pain flash before her stepmother's eyes.

She was aware of the fact that the woman had always desired for her to call her Mother, one thing Maxine could not ever bring herself to do.

Ignoring Lady Theobald's reaction, Maxine continued, "I shall return to my room. No one will have to find me. Tell father not to fret. No need to escort me, I know my way around."

As she said it, she pulled her arm away from her stepmother and continued to walk toward the staircase, one that was forbidden for the guests, and one that would lead to her secret bedchamber.

She had changed her costume after having served Nicholas Everard. There was no way she could go back and help him change into his evening attire. Being a maid was better, but it also allowed her father and stepmother to recognize her earlier during dinner when she had boldly walked into the hall to serve the guests.

"You cannot keep doing this, Maxie," said her stepmother when she was halfway up the stairs. Maxine looked over her shoulder to where the woman was standing below and her heart swelled. Rachel Theobald had more than accepted her. The woman had made her feel like she was one of her own children.

"Do not worry, my lady, I shall not cause more trouble," she said with a smile. "For tonight, that is," added with a wicked smile and chuckled when her stepmother helplessly shook her head, trying hard to hide her own amusement. "Go back to the party. I shall retire for the night."

Lady Theobald narrowed her eyes at her like she did when she and her brothers were little and had caused trouble around the household. "Prepare for your father's wrath, Maxine Theobald."

Maxine snorted and allowed an exaggerated curtsy. "I shall, my lady, and I hope you will save my neck once more."

Her stepmother laughed and walked away without another word.

Maxine turned to continue her way up the stairs, ready to retire for the night. Having carried Nicholas Everard's heavy luggage earlier still left her muscles sore.

She had just entered the door of an empty room that would lead to a secret door to her bedchamber when she heard a voice. Pushing the door just enough to allow a small opening, Maxine waited. No one was allowed to enter this part of the manor.

"You do not know where they went," a man's voice hissed.

"Hush!" a female voice answered back.

Maxine stepped away from the door when she saw a woman in a heavy gown and a man in black suit walk past her door. Her jaw tightened.

They must have seen her with her stepmother and followed them here. She was completely aware of the gossip surrounding her and they must be two of the people who were lucky to have heard Lady Gedge's secret gossip about the Theobalds' dark secret.

Crossed to have had her privacy invaded once more after that stupid scavenger hunt that Lady Gedge had concocted in hopes of revealing the Theobald bastard years ago, Maxine pulled the door open and walked out of the room. The pair had their backs at her. "Why are you following me?" she sternly demanded.

Both of them jumped to their feet and whirled around, faces surprised to have been caught.

"No one is allowed to lurk in this part of the mansion."

She haughtily lifted her chin, forgetting for a moment that she was dressed as a servant and as one she ought not to be talking to the guests—or look at them—in such a manner.

But when the black-haired lady finally moved and walked toward her, Maxine recognized her. She was Nicholas Everard's sister from the carriage earlier. The blonde man she did not recognize.

"Remove yourselves from this part of the manor," she told the woman, voice filled with warning.

"Please forgive us," the man said behind the Everard woman. "We were lost. We shall go." Maxine caught the lie, of course.

"Is it true?"

Maxine snapped her head toward the lady.

"What?" she snapped, looking over her shoulder down the empty corridor behind her, checking to see if they had more company and found none. "That I am the bastard child of Lord Theobald?" she asked when the lady remained stupefied. There was no use wasting her time trying to guess what the two strangers were thinking. It was clearly painted on the woman's eyes that she knew of her existence.

The Everard woman gulped. "Yes." Honest. Maxine liked that.

"We must go," the man said beside the lady while Maxine tried to remember all the names of the Everard siblings her brother had talked about. Samuel was friends with most of them.

The Everard woman ignored her companion and continued to stare at Maxine. "I will not tell anyone if you are worried about that."

Maxine's lips twitched. She let out a snort. "If you say so."

"What is your name?"

Maxine narrowed her eyes as she frowned. This lady was too bloody persistent.

"We must go, Lady Ysabella," the man said, voice growing sharp.

Maxine's eyes widened when she heard the name. "Ysabella Everard," she said with familiarity, voice lighter now.

Ysabella smiled. "You have heard of me. Marvellous!"

"Not everything I heard about you was marvellous," she countered wryly. "My brother told me about you."

Ysabella shrugged and Maxine allowed herself to study her for a while. Unlike her brothers and the sister she was with earlier, Ysabella Everard had a fuller face, making her look younger than her age. And if she was correct to remember the information her brother had given her, Ysabella was merely four years younger than her.

Her attention returned to the present as Ysabella said, "Well, we cannot please everyone." She motioned her head to his companion who looked as though he was ready to burst. "Ask him about me and you shall hear naught but words of frustrations."

She stared at the man for some time, wondering why these two were together alone away from the party. Brushing away her curiosity, she returned her eyes to Ysabella and said, "Maxine. My name's Maxine."

She was quite surprised to realize that it felt good to tell a stranger her real name.

Ysabella Everard smiled. Suddenly Nicholas' laughing face flashed before her eyes and she mentally shook her head. "I am very glad to meet you, Maxine, I wish to—"

"Now, go," Maxine ordered, reaching for the door beside her.

"Can I ask a question?"

"She wants us to go, Ysabella," Ysabella's companion sternly said.

Maxine paused but did not say a word, waiting for the question.

"Why have they kept you a secret all these years?"

The moment after Ysabella asked the question, alarm crossed her features as though she expected Maxine to claw on her face. But Maxine simply frowned at her. She watched as the man took Ysabella by the elbow to guide her away, his face alarmed, quite sure that Ysabella had gone too far with her question.

She did not know why she answered, mayhap because no one had ever asked her the question before and she wanted to answer it. "They don't keep me a secret," she said, causing the two intruders to pause and look at her with expectant looks on their faces. "I keep myself a secret," she added, turning to push the door open. "Go." Without another word she disappeared behind the door, smiling at Ysabella's dumbfounded look.

Maxine walked away from the door and blindly found her way to the wall and found the panel that was her door. She pushed it open and closed it behind her with a sigh, leaving the other side an empty room.

Her large bedchamber greeted her with utter silence.

Her large bed faced the large window across the room. She stared at a distant hole as moonlight shone down from aboveground.

Locking her door, she walked back to her closet to change her clothes.

Her mind briefly remembered Nicholas Everard. Had he ever wondered why the young valet never returned?

With a scoff, Maxine shook her head.

Too much had happened today.

She was not bothered about Ysabella Everard. Samuel had as much told her the woman could be trusted with anything as Ysabella had kept a big secret of hers for years. Maxine chose to believe her brother.

*****

Maxine proved the very next day that she truly ought to consider transferring to another secret room when the door to her chamber suddenly flung open, rendering her surprised and horrified when she saw Ysabella standing in her doorway with a plate in one hand.

It reminded her of that moment years ago when a woman had found her secret room during Lady Gedge's scavenger hunt.

"What are you doing here?" Maxine demanded at Ysabella, rushing toward the woman.

"Why are you dressed as a servant?" Ysabella asked instead, looking at her with a frown. When Maxine continued to stare at her in panic, Ysabella added, "I am alone, I promise. I came by chance that you might wish to join me for a snack," she said, lifting her other hand to show a plate full of food.

Maxine stared at it. "That is more like a luncheon for a starving traveller rather than a snack."

"Well, I like heavy snacks."

Maxine sighed. It was not wise for Ysabella to be here. She may be Samuel's friend, but she was not Maxine's. "You should go. You must not be seen here."

"Well, that can be easily arranged," Ysabella said, turning around to close the panel door. When she faced Maxine once again, she smiled. "Well? Would you like to join me for a snack?"

Maxine stared at her for a long time before letting out another sigh. There was something about Ysabella Everard that was quite enchanting.

You never had friends before, a voice said in her head.

Well, that was quite true. She gave her head a little shake to Ysabella a stern look.

"If you are not Samuel's friend, I would throw you out." She pointed to the table. "You can eat there."

Ysabella sauntered toward the table and sat on the chair. "I take that you have a good relationship with Samuel?"

"Of course. He is my brother."

Ysabella started eating the pie and Maxine watched her, not knowing what to do. Surely she ought to know how to entertain a guest! "But you choose not to be introduced to society. Why?" Ysabella asked.

Maxine's eyes flickered with irritation. "Because I do not wish for it. I rather like it here."

Ysabella's gaze bothered her. It was as though she could read Maxine's mind, as though the girl could see her heart's deepest desires. "You mean you like hiding yourself in this large manor."

"My life is quite different without this dratted weekend parties, if you must know," she snapped.

"Oh, so you can freely go about if there are no guests!" was Ysabella's innocent remark.

"Of course," Maxine said, walking over to the bed to sit. "Do be quick and finish your food."

"How old are you?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I am a curious individual."

"Four and twenty." As a matter of fact, her birthday was coming in a few weeks to signify how she had wasted twenty-five years of her life in nowhere else but Theobald.

"Hmm," Ysabella hummed thoughtfully. "Samuel is older by four years."

"You mean our father committed a sin against his marriage even after having sired an heir," Maxine wryly retorted.

She expected Ysabella to look horrified, but such was not the case.

"No, I did not mean to say that," Ysabella nonchalantly said. "So, would you ever answer my question? Why are you dressed as a servant?"

Maxine could not help the smile that curved her lips, her eyes glimmering wickedly. "I do play different roles during the weekend parties. A year ago, I did try to dress as a footman before father caught me."

Ysabella laughed. "It must be fun."

Maxine nodded. "Two years ago, I succeeded as an old maidservant. I even helped two or three guests get dressed."

Ysabella's laughter rang around the room. "I ought to take lessons from you, then!"

"Do be quick. I wish to retire early," Maxine said instead. She did not wish to get used to having guests in her chambers.

Ysabella finished her food. "Do you have something to drink? I regret I forgot to bring water."

Maxine sighed and went to her feet. She walked over to the side of her bed where a glass and a pitcher of water stood. As she poured, Ysabella studied her closely. "Is dressing up a way for you to entertain yourself?"

"Somewhat, yes." She walked over to Ysabella and handed the glass.

"Have you ever tried to pretend you are one of the guests instead? So you could enjoy the parties."

Maxine shook her head. "It is too risky. They might recognize me."

"Why do you fear it so?"

She frowned. "I am a bastard. I'd ruin my father's name if my identity should become public."

"Has your family expressed the same fears?"

"No, they—" Maxine stopped herself and shook her head. "No, it is better that I stay hidden."

Ysabella was looking at her with disbelief. "Then what do you plan to do for the rest of your life? Surely you cannot stay hidden forever!"

"Of course I can. I love it here." That, of course, was half the truth and half a lie.

"But you have not seen the rest of the outside. Even I who is free to roam around the Town dreams of what the world aboveground is like. Do you not wonder of the same things, of what it would be like outside the Theobald estate?"

Maxine's eyes wavered. "No, not really."

Liar! A voice in her head shouted. She had spent many nights dreaming of the rest of the world. She had read books after books of the many adventures of people everywhere.

"Instead of imprisoning yourself, you should start living your life without fear, dear Maxine. You ought to live."

Live. What an exciting, fearful word.

Brushing off the sudden desire for something that Ysabella's words had suggested, Maxine narrowed her eyes at the woman. "Do not tell me how I ought to lead my life, Ysabella Everard. I very well know how to make the most of it."

"Oh, very well, if you must say so. But should you change your mind, I tell you in advance that society could be truly brutal to those who are different, but they too are forgetful. They will feast on you for days, weeks and even months, but soon your scandal would become old and a new one would come and you shall be forgotten."

She had heard the same thing from her stepmother, her brothers and even her father. She scoffed it off, causing Ysabella to smile with resignation.

"Would you still be here next year?" Ysabella asked.

"Where else would I be? Of course."

"I could see you then?"

Maxine hesitated. "If you insist."

"Could I send you letters?"

She could already see herself writing letters to Ysabella. "If you wish it," she replied, "but do not expect a reply."

Ysabella smiled at her. "I am the queen of missives, dear. I do know how to make even the most notorious of rakes scribble a reply."

Maxine simply shook her head although she took a hint that there was something behind Ysabella's statement. Ignoring the curiosity for it might merely cause the lady to stay longer, Maxine urged the woman to finish the rest of her food.

Later that night, she lay in bed thinking and wondering what it would be like to be Ysabella Everard—to be free and be so certain of who and what you were.

She fell asleep without answers.

*****

The Theobald weekend party ended in the same manner it always did—everyone eventually left.

Maxine watched through the glass of her window as the Everards said their goodbyes to Lord and Lady Theobald. Nicholas was standing behind the family like a good gentleman that he was expected to be, guarding his mother and sisters and the other lady that was with them. Ysabella and Emma were talking with their friend in whispers, giggling as their mother and Lady Theobald talked.

When everyone was ready to depart, Lady Alice Everard turned to her children. Ysabella said something to Nicholas who then said something back to his sister, causing Emma and their friend to chuckle. Ysabella made a move to hit Nicholas' arm but their mother cried out and said something that caused everyone to stop and stare. And then Lady Alice added something and everyone suddenly burst out laughing.

Maxine found herself grinning over something she did not even understand. Although she did not hear a word, she knew she would have laughed with the Everards. She had heard stories about their mother and she had at once wondered what it would be like to be in her presence.

She had witnessed Lady Alice and her children yesterday. She saw how they interacted, how they talked and how they laughed over something. She saw it from a distance while she was dressed as a servant. As a matter of fact, she saw many of such relationship during the parties.

Some were quite different as well. There were those mothers who made desperate attempts to push their daughters toward a bachelor. There were those who scolded and nagged about gowns and parties and husbands. And then there were those like the Everards.

She watched as Nicholas gave his mother's head a quick kiss before the woman entered the carriage and Maxine realized she might never know what it would feel like to be like the Everard children.

They knew their parents. They lived with their mother.

She, on the other hand, was deprived by the other half of her lineage.

Turning away from the window, Maxine told herself that she ought to be happy now. The guests were almost gone and she could once more roam Theobald freely. She could go out and bask under one of the holes around the estate with a good book in hand. She could once more be with her worker friends, her stepmother and her father. She could once more have the place to herself.

She would once more be content to be alone.

Yet now she knew it not to be true.

Something was missing. Something was nagging at her, wanting to be found.