By nightfall, Reece returned to his parents' home with vegetables he had bought along the way. He had sent off the Hawthorne carriage long before he reached the house, not wanting the neighbours to see him with it.
Reece quietly opened the door and stepped inside, hoping he could prepare dinner without his mother knowing he was already home. Unfortunately, Agatha was waiting for him by the door.
Agatha rose from her chair, a candle flickering in her hand. "You did not find her? You have been gone for hours."
"The town is quite large, Mother. You mustn't expect that I would find her so easily. I must stop the search for now and return in the morning when there is light. For now, let me make you some dinner," Reece said, patting Agatha's arm as he walked by her. "You must rest."
