He had expected anyone. He had expected the head butler, who handled the family money. He had expected one of the stable boys, who could easily be bribed with gold. He had even expected one of his own junior guards.
But Mrs. Ida?
The head maid. The older woman with the gray hair and the strict rules.
A massive wave of pain hit Damon right in the center of his chest. It felt like a heavy physical blow.
Ida was not just a servant. Ida had been in the Benson family for more than twenty years. When Damon's parents died in a terrible carriage accident many years ago, Damon was just a young, angry, broken boy. It was Mrs. Ida who held him when he cried. It was Mrs. Ida who cooked his favorite meals when he refused to eat. It was Mrs. Ida who cleaned his scraped knees when he learned how to fight with wooden swords.
She literally raised him. She was like a second mother to him.
