Page 20 of When You're Forgotten

“Looks calmer in the daytime, doesn’t it?”Amelia remarked softly, shielding her eyes to glance at the upper windows.A mild breeze stirred her hair, causing a few strands to brush against the bandage that still covered her hand from the chase back in England.

Finn nodded, letting out a faint breath of agreement.“Yes, but a day’s worth of sunshine can’t change the fact that something’s off here.”He caught a glimpse of the side lawn beyond where they stood, recalling the shape they had seen on the security footage, creeping on all fours.That memory prickled at him.

They climbed the front steps, the manor door standing ajar.Upon entering the main foyer, they were met by a burst of activity.Charlie and Bella—James Penrose’s children—darted across the polished floor, apparently mid-game of chase.Bella squealed when Charlie nearly tagged her, and she scrambled behind a decorative pedestal to hide.

A few steps away, James’s widow, Marianne, stood watching them, arms loosely folded as though she were trying to stay composed.Her face carried the remnants of grief, but she managed a gentle smile at her children’s antics.Yet the sadness in her eyes suggested she was only half-present in their merriment.

When Marianne spotted Finn and Amelia, she straightened, lifting a hand in greeting.“Good morning,” she said, her voice subdued but polite.“How was your first night under this roof?”

Finn briefly remembered the restless night, the uneasy dreams that came after the chase in the orchard.But he forced a mild shrug.“Slept well, thanks,” he lied, offering a small, courteous smile.

Amelia gave a tiny nod as well.“And me, too.Thank you for your hospitality.”

Marianne’s gaze flicked to her children.“I see you’ve already encountered the chaos,” she commented, nodding at Bella and Charlie, who’d switched roles: now Charlie crouched behind the pedestal while Bella scampered away, giggling.“They’re trying to go on as though everything’s normal.Children do that, playing right through their tragedies.”

Amelia’s mouth curved in sympathy.“It must be hard.Have they… come to grips with it yet?”

Marianne exhaled shakily, a shadow crossing her face.“I’m not certain it’s truly sunk in that they’ll never have Daddy reading them bedtime stories or playing hide-and-seek again.I suppose in time, it will.For now, I let them run, I let them laugh—maybe it’s the only way they can cope.”

Finn felt a twist of empathy in his chest.His own mother had died when he was about Bella’s age, and he remembered using childish games to block out the ache.“I’m sorry they have to face that kind of loss so young,” he said softly.

Marianne nodded, swallowing.“I keep telling myself I have to be strong for them.But it’s—well, it’s all so difficult.Everything here reminds me of James.”

She fell silent for a moment as Bella dashed across the foyer again, nearly tripping on an ornate rug.Charlie squealed with delight, and Hobbs, the family driver, discreetly appeared from a side hallway, presumably to keep an eye on them.

Amelia cleared her throat, pulling a folded piece of paper from her pocket.“Mrs.Penrose—Marianne—I was going over the staff list Mrs Hughes provided last night.One name caught my eye: Judd Aspen.He isn’t listed as family or staff.Do you know him?”

Marianne’s face shifted, the sorrow replaced briefly by annoyance.“Judd was James’s best friend,” she said.“He’d pop in whenever it suited him.Lately, he was staying here more frequently because his marriage hit a rough patch.So he used Brynmor Hall like a hotel.”

Finn noted her disparaging tone.“You don’t sound very fond of him.”

Marianne gave a dismissive wave of her hand.“He never approved of my marriage to James.Called me a gold digger, or at least insinuated it.Said I was after the family wealth.So, no, I’m not his biggest fan.”

“Does he stay often?”Amelia asked, glancing at Finn as though to confirm her curiosity.

“Recently, more on than off,” Marianne replied dryly.“Though if you ask me, it’s hardly convenient.But apparently it’s what James wanted, so I bit my tongue.”

Finn raised an eyebrow.“We’d like to talk to him, if possible—just to see if he knows anything about James’s final days.”

Marianne shrugged.“No need to look far.Judd arrived this morning.Surprised you haven’t bumped into him yet.He’s probably in one of the rooms, or outside.”

Her words were interrupted by a sudden, piercing crash from somewhere above them.The sound reverberated through the foyer, echoing along the mansion’s corridors.Bella and Charlie froze mid-game, eyes wide.Marianne’s face blanched, alarm flashing in her eyes.“What was—?”

Another loud smash came from upstairs, as if something heavy had been toppled.Marianne’s worry twisted into fear.“Hobbs!”she called, her voice quivering with urgency.

The driver promptly stepped forward, guiding the children behind him.“Yes, ma’am.”

“Keep them here.I need to see what on earth is happening,” Marianne said, throwing a quick glance at Finn and Amelia, silently pleading for their help.Finn gave a curt nod.

The three adults—Marianne in the lead, Finn and Amelia at her side—hurried up the central staircase.Their footsteps thudded on the carpeted steps, hearts pounding in an adrenaline surge.At the landing, they paused, listening.Another smash rang out, sending a jolt through Finn’s system.

“It’s coming from down that hallway,” he said, pointing toward a dim corridor leading to the east wing.Marianne, breath shallow, spoke in a trembling voice: “James’s study is that way.He spent hours there...”

“Stay close to Amelia,” Finn advised.“We don’t know who’s there.Let me go first.”

“Finn…” Amelia began to protest, but Finn had already started forward, lengthening his stride.The hallway was lined with framed paintings and occasional decorative statues perched on pedestals—he hoped none were the cause of those loud crashes.The door to James’s study, near the end of the corridor, stood ajar.

He reached it just in time to see a masked figure slip out, clad in dark clothing and wearing some kind of balaclava hood that concealed their face.The intruder spotted Finn and reacted instantly, ramming a shoulder into him.The impact drove Finn backward into the wall, and a painting rattled precariously above his head.

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