Arianne's study reflected her more than the rest of the house did.
The shelves were organized by topic, not for show, and the desk held only the files she was actively working on. She kept the lighting low to avoid glare on the wall-mounted glass frames. The windows looked out over the darker part of the estate grounds, past the courtyard lights. At night, the reflection inside was brighter than the view outside.
She took off her jacket and hung it on the back of her chair. The cuff of her blouse was folded unevenly at her wrist. A small stack of papers was open in front of her, with tidy notes written in the margins. Her pen rested on the edge of the page.
A soft knock sounded at the door.
She didn't look up right away. "Come in."
Franz walked into the room and closed the door behind him. He moved away from the door and stopped a few feet from the desk.
"I need to tell you something," he said.
She put down her pen and looked at him.
