CHAPTER NINETY – FINAL DESTINATION

The vicar spent the next hour drawing up a strategy. He provided them with makeshift cloaks – dark, heavy fabrics meant to blend in with the shadows. He also procured a set of lockpicks. The following day dawned grey and damp. The rain had stopped, but a thick fog clung to the ground, obscuring the outlines of the sprawling estate. As the morning wore on, a hive of activity buzzed around the manor house. Servants scurried in and out, polishing silver, preparing hors d'oeuvres, and generally ensuring everything was in pristine order for the evening's gala. Scarlett, Clara, and Shabnam remained hidden, their nerves tightening with each passing hour. Finally, as the sun began its descent, casting long shadows across the grounds, the vicar gave them the signal. The manor house was abuzz with pre-departure preparations, the staff preparing to leave for the gala. Seizing their moment, they donned their borrowed cloaks, the fabric scratchy and unfamiliar against their skin. With Shab