Sophia paced around her bedchamber as she waited for Marcus to arrive.
Aabha and Brigid followed her movements until the secret door opened and they both scrambled to hide under the bed.
Sophia stopped and turned to find Marcus with another letter in hand. His shadowy form bent to place it on the table. "The exchange shall happen in the dark forest," his cold voice uttered. He was obviously still harboring anger from their last encounter.
"Do not go through with the ambush, Marcus," she said, voice shaking.
He stiffly turned to face her and used the silence to lash on her. It had always worked in the past. He would stay silent and she would cower. But this time it was different. Lives were at stake.
"I cannot let you go through with it," she insisted. "If you do it, I shall find a way to let the Guards know."
"Why?" was his cold question. He took one step toward her. Sophia held her ground, using all her strength to stay strong. It was not an easy task to go against a man one had always been obedient to. "Why, Sophia?"
"Because they might overpower your men! They are the Town Guards!"
He let out a mocking chuckle. "Oh, Sophia, the many things you do not know." She frowned as he took another step closer. "We have men in the Guards, my dear. Osegod shall make certain that they will also be there for the ambush."
She gasped in horror as the weight of the situation fell upon her. She was engulfed with a sudden sense of desperation and helplessness.
What could she do? She was as powerless as the slaves in this game. But she had a voice.
She lifted her chin in defiance and uttered, "If you do this, I will cease to help you. I will be of no use to you."
"You are being pathetic. And you will do what? Go to Nicholas Everard and tell him the truth? You will allow the Guards to use you against us? They will do the same we do to you, Sophia. They will use you. The only difference is that if you remain by us, you shall not go to prison." He sighed and finally stopped right in front of her. "You are being pathetic. So tell me what you will do, Sophia? What will you do?"
She lifted her chin, her lips quivering as she uttered, "I will kill myself."
A cold silence followed before Marcus managed a mocking chuckle. "You put so much importance upon yourself if you think I will concede."
Her eyes welled with tears and she brushed them away. Taking a step back, she glared at Marcus with contempt. Never had she allowed herself to do so for never had she felt such feelings toward him.
"I have done everything you have asked of me until now. I only ask this one thing. Spare them, Marcus. You do not need blood in your hands." When he started to shake his head, her desperation grew even stronger. "Have you not thought of the consequences of your actions? The ambush will merely prove their suspicion and everything you have thus far worked for will be ruined!" Sophia was certain Marcus saw her reason. She swallowed before she continued, "If Ralph Everard will be hurt, his brother will stop coming to me and you will lose an informant. He tells me everything! Not only that, he will believe I conceded to this plan! If this ambush happens, Marcus, the Guards will never rest. We do not want that to happen. Osegod merely wants to be rid of them for selfish reasons but he shall never take the fallâyou will! We will!"
Marcus shook his head slowly. "Gaining Osegod's trust is everything, Sophia. This is the most crucial part of our plans."
"You can always gain his trust the other way. But not through this. You must realize that I am right, Marcus. You might be able to eliminate a few Guards, but you cannot stop those who remain loyal to their cause. Hurting them by hurting their comrades will not do you good." When he did not say anything further, Sophia asked, "Do you truly want to do this? Do you truly believe that an ambush is the best way to scare the Guards away?"
Marcus paced before her, weighing her words. "You are too smart for your own good."
"What does that mean?"
He did not answer for a while, simply kept pacing. Sophia waited, holding her breath.
Experience told her that Marcus ought not to be bothered when he was thinking. And she would wager everything she had that he was planning something.
When he stopped, his head turned to face her. "It means you win this argument, my dear. I do have better plans with Nicholas Everard after all. Osegod will have to be more patient."
Her relief slowly ebbed away as fear crept in. "What do you mean?"
"Is it not better if we can use him and his family to help us with our plans? Osegod wants to have a spy within that family for some reason. Nicholas Everard shall be our spy and he will not even know about it."
Sophia feigned ignorance. "I do not understand how the Everards are associated with Osegod, Marcus. Theyâ"
"Osegod has his reasons and it is best to please him for now."
"Lord Whiston does not tell any intimate information about his family," she lied.
"In time, he will. After the service you have been providing him, he will ease," he added the last statement with contempt. "You do not have to do anything. You only have to say yes when he asks."
"Ask what?"
"Ask to take you away from here."
She gasped in horror. "No!"
"Bloody hell, Sophia! You ought to learn to compromise!" When she continued to shake her head, he grabbed her upper arm and pulled her harshly toward him. "Are you in love with the man?"
Sophia refused to answer his question and instead she said, "I refuse to subject myself to that man's whims, Marcus. Should he take me away, I will be of no use to you for he shall use me as his mistress, not his confidant!"
"I asked if you are in love with the man, Sophia," he repeated, ignoring her words.
She remained stiff in his hold and refused to meet his gaze, focusing on the shadows and light around the room.
Marcus sighed. "Do not fool yourself to think that Nicholas Everard can ever love you back, Sophia. He is using you to get to us. And the moment that he does, he will disappear and find himself another lover. You must play this game with your mind, not with your heart." He let her go and stopped beside the table where the letter lay. "Now, if you wish to save the Guards from the ambush, you will do as I say. Give this letter to Nicholas Everard as a sign of your loyalty to him. They will find naught but traces of evidence of an exchange, but they shall all live to tell the tale. He shall come back to you and you will tell him that there was another letter delivered in haste, changing the time of the exchange but you failed to inform him for it was too late. He shall believe you, fool that he is."
Sophia harshly wiped the tears from her face.
"And then you shall work on how you can convince him to take you away from this place. Osegod shall be happy and so shall I."
"And I?"
Marcus walked to the door. "I hold my promises, Sophia. Once we find no more use of Nicholas Everard, I shall come for you. And then, my dear, you shall be witness to the success of my plans. Together, the two of us, will win."
*****
Nicholas was not quite certain how he felt while on his way to Rock'oles.
He was hoping to see the final letter about the exchange today. And he was hoping to be able to convince Sophia that once this was all over, he would deliver his promise to her.
He would take her away from Rock'oles. He would provide her a home she could call her own. And if she would permit it, he would find a way to court her properly, however in tarnation that was supposed to be done.
He never had a brotherânot one that was marriedâwho did a proper courtship. Perhaps Benedict did before he was engaged to be married to Frances Highmore, but that did not end well as evidenced by the fact that his brother's wife was not named Frances. And he did not truly court his wife. Their mother, along with their sisters, did the courting if they truly had to be honest. Benedict was a failure in the subject.
Levi was not one he could look up to as well. His brother whisked Victoria to Tiny Town after making her climb out a window. Levi might have been a charmer in the past, but he was no perfect suitor. He was even worse in matchmaking.
Maxwell could probably be the worst of the lot. He did not only stealthily seduce Nicholas' valet, but he also followed Levi's footsteps and took Maxine to Tiny Town, dragging Nicholas along to witness it. There was no bloody courtship where Maxwell and Maxine were concerned. Those two spent more time outwitting each other at every turn than walking through a garden in proper courtship.
He could ask his brothers-in-law, yes, but Cole was the Head of the Men of Courts in Wickhurst. He might find Sophia an interesting subject for the slavery case and Nicholas would rather die than watch her be feasted on in court in front of men who could not respect her person.
Wakefield did spend time courting Ysabella, but it was barely enough to compare with the time his sister spent courting Wakefield. If getting beaten by five angry brothers could be called courtship, then Nicholas ought to ask Sophia to find her family and see if she had male relatives. Otherwise, Wakefield was of no help.
As he thought of it all, Nicholas could not help but ask what the bloody hell was wrong with his family.
While Nicholas was led into Sophia's chamber and when he saw her sitting in the corner with her usual calmness, he had to frown and wonder if there was any way he could ask Emma to find him a book about a lord's guide to courtship. Perhaps there was one. Ysabella, after all, claimed to own A Lady's Guide to Courtship. Surely there was one written for men?
Gazing at Sophia and knowing her quiet resolve to refuse him as a potential husband, Nicholas was certain he needed a book.
"The letter is here," she told him the moment the door closed. His eyes landed on the white piece of paper on the table before her and he stalked toward it, eager to read the contents, eager to finally provide Ralph with the last detail for the exchange. So this bloody case could be done with. So he could take Sophia out of here. Damn society, damn etiquette. He wanted this woman.
He frowned down at the paper in his hand. "The dark forest? But that is almost a week away fromâ"
"Is that not the point, my lord? To do it very far away?"
He shook his head and nodded. "I will tell my brother." He folded the paper and replaced it on the table. "As for you, you must start packing."
She simply smiled up at him, blindly gazing at whatever she could see. "I do not have enough to pack."
There was something in her eyes as she stood up and approached him. His heart started to hammer against his chest, his mind made up. He would take this woman away from here at all cost.
She did not belong here. She did not belong anywhere with any man but him.
He did not belong with any woman but her.
"Sophie..." he whispered but could not find the words to say. Perhaps later. Mayhap at the perfect time.
She raised her hand and lightly traced his face with the tip of her fingers.
And then she rose on her toes and planted the softest kiss at the corner of his lips. Every fiber of his being erupted into flames as she lightly traced his mouth with hers. He remained still, unsure of what she was thinking or planning.
When her hands firmly planted on his chest, feeling the erratic beating of his heart, Nicholas held his breath and waited. Because he knew it was coming.
He had never thought he would be half-begging and half-afraid for a kiss, especially with a woman like Sophia but he was at that moment rendered as such.
And when she finally gave him the sign by lightly coaxing his lips with hers, he lost all control and opened his mouth over hers, taking the first taste of her, the very soul of her. And it was more wonderful than anything they had shared together in bed. It was far beyond that.
She kissed him with equal measure as if she was afraid and her life depended on it. She clung to him as if it were their last. Nicholas would later have to tell her that it was merely the beginning and she need not be afraid.
To know that she was giving him something she had never shared with any man before, to know that she willingly offered it, Nicholas found himself beyond repair. And he was fine with it. He was fine broken for this woman was his beautiful ruin.
His arms circled around her in a crushing embrace, their breath suddenly frantic as they both blindly found their way to the bed. Everything else was forgotten. Everything else did not matter.
He was kissing Sophia. He was kissing her.
*****
"I do not wish to leave," he said against her temple hours later.
Sophia snuggled closer, refusing to look up for she feared that he would read something in her eyes. "Why?" she softly asked.
"If I leave you here before the exchange happens, I am afraid that I may not be able to return. Things might not end in favor to the Guards. Their trap might not work."
"And what makes you believe you cannot return to me?"
"If the trap is unsuccessful, I fear I will be banned from this place. They will know who gave the information. They will know it is you and I fear for your safety, Sophie. You must come with me now."
She tilted her head to give him a quick kiss before she rose from the bed, dragging the covers with her. "Fret not about my safety, Nick. I will be waiting for you here. We have much to discuss after the exchange."
She started to gather his clothes.
"I am notâ"
"You will have to tell your brother about the dark forest. And you will wait until the exchange and you will come back here to me." She laid the clothes on the bed beside him. He rose on his elbows and she smiled at him. "I will be waiting when you return," she promised, bending over him to plant her lips against his.
Nicholas groaned and reached for her. "I can never have enough of you, woman. You will have to concede to my plans. Else I shall perish."
Sophia chuckled against his lips and welcomed his onslaught. She gave in to his demands and demanded more in return.
This shall be the last.
*****
Sophia spent the rest of the week thinking and planning.
Marcus did not visit her again as he was kept occupied with other works. The slave trade and Rock'oles were not his only business, after all.
She waited with anticipation as the day for the exchange drew near.
Lord Cigar visited once but without a letter. He merely dropped by to inquire if Marcus was bloody crazy for not going through with their plans, to which Sophia had no clear response. How could she tell Lord Cigar that she was the one who begged for the ambush to not take place?
"Osegod will not be happy about this!" he cried out, the first time she had heard him mention Osegod's name.
She had stayed quiet, feigning ignorance of the plans, until he stormed out of her chamber.
Lord Gruff followed a day after, angrier than Lord Cigar. He left only after Aabha growled at him when he tried to force Sophia to tell him more of Marcus' plans.
"If Osegod makes us pay for this, you and Durley will face me and you will regret it," he scathingly said before he left.
Sophia was left unperturbed as she did not share their sentiments. However, she knew their threats were not empty.
There were too much at stake for these men, she understood that. But they were all being foolish if they thought that a harsh and hasty ambush could keep the Guards from pursuing the trade.
*****
The night before the actual exchange, Sophia had trouble sleeping. She gave up after hours of lying wide awake in her bed.
Tomorrow, when the Guards would fail with their plans and not find a single slave or a man to interrogate, Nicholas would rush back to her. He would be confused and she would try to provide the very instruction Marcus had given her. She would tell him about the supposed change of plans.
And he would believe her. He would believe her because it was the only logical explanation.
And once he wrapped his mind around it, he would ask her to go with him as they had plannedâas he had planned.
But unlike what Marcus had told her, she would refuse the offer.
She could no longer continue to spy on him and his family, not when she was in love with him. Not when she was in love with the idea of being with him.
She did not trust Osegod. Sophia could not let herself be used by Osegod to spy on the Everards.
She was willing to help Marcus in any way, but not when it also meant helping Osegod ruin an innocent family. Being a part of that plan was not in hers.
Ending everything with Nicholas Everard would not put an end to Marcus' plans. He had a very good one before Nicholas ever came to the picture.
Her plan was seemingly easy in her head as she waited for Nicholas one day later.
But she knew it would not be easy to push him away. Because that would exactly be how she ought to do it. Letting him go would not work for a man like Nicholas Everard. He would not have it. He would demand for reasons and provide even more sensible and tempting ones to dissuade her.
She ought to push him away and make certain that he never came back.
I have decided to end everything.
I have decided this is going nowhere.
I can no longer betray Marcus for I love him. I have to choose between your lousy promises and his.
We can never be, Nick. You and I know it. Let me be the sensible one to end it now.
They have decided to cease the trade for a while. I am no longer of use to you. Let us end this.
I don't have strong feelings for you to warrant to desire for your presence. There are other men to please and there are far more women for you to fool around with.
Sophia closed her eyes, trying to think of the correct words to say. She had thought of countless, she had practiced a lot.
Marcus' presence was not helping her think either.
"Remember, Sophia, I did what you asked. Osegod and his men are not happy, but they shall soon see my reason. As for you, I expect that you follow my plans this time."
She merely nodded. Would he believe her if she told him that Nicholas Everard no longer wanted her? Would Marcus believe her if she claimed that Nicholas decided to stop his visits after this failure? That Nicholas no longer found any use of her? That was a very good reason for a rakehell like Nicholas could very well say the same words.
"Sophia, did you hear me? Whiston will be here soon. If not today, probably by the morrow. The Guards would have already alerted Wickhurst of their failure by now."
Before Sophia could open her mouth to speak, the secret door burst open and Mr. Mast came rushing in. "My lord," he addressed Marcus breathlessly, "someone is waiting for you in your study."
Sophia snapped her head at Mast's direction. The manager rarely interrupted Marcus' time with her unless there was an urgent matter that needed to be attended. And by the man's current breathless state, the matter was apparently more than urgent.
Marcus stood to his feet. He gave Sophia one last look. "Should the bastard decide to escape with you, do be sure to leave a note, Sophia. I have a man waiting outside tasked to follow where he might take you. I cannot disappoint Osegod twice in a row."
Sophia nodded stiffly. Then I am afraid you will have to, she replied in her head. "I shall try my best. Don't miss me while I am away, Marcus. And do take me away as soon as you can for I might enjoy living with the Everards."
He scoffed and she heard the door close.
Brigid came out of hiding and joined her on the chaise. Aabha crawled out from under the bed as well and sat beside the door.
The three of them waited for Nicholas Everard.
"This can be a very long wait, my dears," she told them with a nervous smile.
Was she ready to let him go? Was she ready to spare him of her?
The answer was a resounding NO.
But she must save him from her and Marcus.
This stupid charade had been wrong from the very start. Marcus was foolish to have thought Nicholas was useful. She was even a greater fool to have thought she could handle the man.
This was an utter failure.
Sophia was drawn away from her thoughts when she heard three loud knocks. Sophia frowned and stood to her feet. Brigid followed her to the door. She peered through the peephole and found Nicholas' familiar form standing outside.
Ah, of course. Mast was with Marcus.
He knocked three times once more. Sophia ignored the alarmingly angry sound for her heart was already racing inside her chest. Or perhaps it had died and she could no longer feel it.
Before she changed her mind, she reached for the handle and turned the lock.
Nicholas swung the door open before she did. It banged against the wall, causing Sophia to gasp in surprise. He reached for it and it slammed shut again, causing her to flinch.
She could not see Nicholas' face, but she could feel the anger radiating from within him.
"Tell me the truth, Sophia," he demanded, chasing her into the middle of the room.
She was confused. "What are you talking about? I have something to tell you. There was another letter deliveredâ"
"Stop lying, Sophia and tell me the truth!"
She frowned as she blinked, desperate to read more from his face. "Whatâ"
His hand was rough, his grasp far from a caress, when he grabbed her arm and wrenched her toward him.
"My brother and his men were attacked, you conniving wench!"