The man nodded his approval. “I think that is wise. The streets of London are dangerous for a young woman as beautiful as you.”
Anette wasn’t about to take praise from her captor. She should bite her tongue and let the man speak his mind. But she wasn’t able to do so. “I do not care what you think.”
Rather than being upset, the man appeared to find her remark humorous. “There is the pluck that I have heard so much about. Tell me, do you think your sharp tongue will help you in this situation?” He put his hands up. “I simply ask since you are alive only because I have allowed it.”
“My brother won’t stop until he finds me.”
“Yes, your brother can be a stubborn man when the situation warrants it,” the man said as he sat on the end of the mattress. “Do you want to know his secret?”
Anette pressed her lips together, not wanting to encourage her captor. How was it that this man knew her brother at all?
With amusement in his eyes, the man revealed, “Your brother is a spy; a rather decent one at that.”
She blinked. Surely this man did not take her for a fool? Caleb couldn’t possibly be a spy. Yes, he had secrets, as did everyone, but she would have known if he was a spy. Wouldn’t she have?
“I don’t believe you,” she responded.
“It is no bother to me if you don’t, but I just thought you were entitled to the truth. How else do you think your brother was able to help your father?” he asked, lifting his brow. “Didn’t you ever wonder why he didn’t bother to bring a constable in to help with the matter?”
“That doesn’t prove he is a spy,” Anette said. Although, doubt started creeping in. She had wondered why Caleb was adamant they didn’t contact a constable once she overheard her father being threatened.
The man watched her closely as he said, “The question you should be asking yourself right now is if Lord Roswell is a spy.”
Anette was quick to reply, “Roswell is not a spy. He couldn’t be.”
“Why?” the man asked. “Do you presume to know everything about him?”
“No, but I know enough.”
The man rose from the mattress and removed a piece of straw that had attached itself to his trousers. “Roswell and your brother deceived you. They wanted you to believe they were people they were not. How does that make you feel?” he asked, eyeing her closely.
Anette didn’t know what she should feel. Should she even trust this man? He had abducted her and was keeping her prisoner. Yet, a part of her believed him. If what he was saying was true, then it would explain Caleb’s behavior.
How could her brother have kept such a secret from her? And Roswell? Was that why he kept her at arm’s length?
“I can tell by your face that you have come to terms with what I told you,” the man said. “Now you know why they must die.”
Her eyes shot up and she feared that she had misheard him. “I don’t understand. Why would you wish to kill them?”
“They are a nuisance and need to be dealt with, but before I kill them, I will take away from them what matters the most,” the man said. “Don’t worry. You won’t be the only one here for long. I have one more guest that plans to join us.”
“Who?” she asked, afraid of what the answer might be.
The man stared down at her as he replied, “Lady Octavia. She should be arriving soon, assuming my associate did his job correctly.”
Anette’s eyes grew wide. “Why would you wish to abduct Lady Octavia?”
The man frowned. “I fear that you got hit rather hard over your head and it is affecting you more than you are letting on. I will explain it in a different way,” he replied. “Lady Octavia means a great deal to Lord Roswell so I had no choice but to abduct her. I knew once Lord Roswell learned of your abduction that he would rush over to Lord Oxley’s townhouse, leaving his sister unprotected.”
“Why are you doing this?” Anette asked.
The man hit his chest with his fist, his voice rising. “To prove that I am smarter than them and that I am the better agent.”
“That is what this is about?”
“No, it is only a small part of my plan. Once I kill Lord Roswell and Mr. Bolingbroke, I will start hunting down the other agents and no one will be able to stop me. I will be able to sell all of England’s secrets to the French.”
She furrowed her brow. “You are a traitor.”
