Azzurra slipped into the adjoining room, only to find it was nothing more than a cramped storage space. Clicking her tongue in frustration, she stepped back out, her eyes scanning the dim hallway as she tried to recall where the maids’ quarters might be.

Her heart nearly stopped when a guard passed by the corridor. Without thinking, she ducked behind a counter, her movements so fast and sharp it nearly winded her. Breath held, heart pounding against her ribs, she silently cursed her ...