Page 95 of The Duke’s Wager

“Lucy… my love…”

“There is no time for this!” Nicolas hissed desperately from behind them, and both Lucy and Edward faced the man with more attention.

Nicolas glanced down the hall anxiously before looking back at the pair. The poor man looked as though he was at a complete loss for words. He gestured wildly, then shook his head.

“Maria… She left to find the constable, but I fear that it is too late. It will do no good. Lucy…”

Nicolas ignored Edward pointedly and turned his attention to Lucy, now.

“I fear that he has gone mad. You… you need to get out of here. We cannot wait, not a minute longer. The servants, they are readying themselves to leave, but it is you… you are in the most danger. We fear that he will kill you. You must leave at once.”

Though Lucy still had not shaken Edward’s lingering hand off her shoulder, she made a point of not looking at him, instead facing Nicolas earnestly.

“I think I have always known that this day would come.”

“You cannot take anything. There is no time. This is it, Lucy.”

Nicolas spoke to her in a fatherly fashion, and for a second, gratitude filled Edward. He was relieved that she had not been completely deprived of all affection – she had someone who kept an eye out for her.

“I am ready, Nicolas. I am ready to leave and never look back.”

Though hushed, Lucy’s voice was strong and certain. Edward’s hand trailed from her shoulder to take her hand. To his relief, she did not pull away. Instead, she allowed his fingers to tangle with hers, and he was almost certain that she gave his hand an encouraging squeeze.

There was no time to think about the implications thereof, however. Once more, Nicolas was talking in a hurried whisper.

“You must go through the back exit, down the stairs. Through the kitchen. I left it open for you. Once you are outside, Lucy… once you are outside, you run. You run, and you do not look back. Not for a second.”

Lucy nodded anxiously. Yet, despite the urgency of Nicolas’s tone, she did not move. Instead, she looked at the man worriedly.

“Nicolas, you must promise me that everyone will get out of here. Every single servant, everyone who has served me with loyalty all these years. No one can get hurt.”

Nicolas smiled at her kindly and nodded.

“They are taken care of, my lady.”

“What about you?” Her voice broke at this, and Edward held onto her hand even tighter. He could hardly imagine how difficult this had to be for her.

Nicolas glanced around again, then flashed her a smile.

“As soon as you are gone, I will hide. I will wait for Maria to return, and we will leave. We… we spent years planning this. We were only here for you, my lady. Once you are free, nothing binds us to this place.”

She nodded – finally – and turned to glance at Edward. She did not speak, did not hold onto him tighter, merely glanced his way.

He knew what it meant. It was time to leave.

It was impossibly quiet as they snuck down the stairs – not a soul in sight. Edward smiled to himself sardonically. Naturally, he had pictured a myriad of ways how his visit to the Beaumont estate would turn out.

In none of the ways he had imagined, did he sneak away with Lucy – hand in hand – while servants cleared out behind them.

It was absurd.

Five more stairs… four… three… They were almost free. As soon as their feet hit the ground floor, Lucy started running – practically dragging Edward along with her.

It did not take much for him to run next to her, his heart beating fast with desperation to get out of there, to be free of Henry Beaumont and the terror of his home.

They were close to the kitchen, so close, when the sound reverberated through the house.

It was a sound Edward had only heard once before, but one that he recognized immediately. It was the sound that haunted him every night in his sleep – the sound he had heard seconds before discovering his father’s lifeless body.