Page 2 of When the Duke Met His Match

Rats squeaked from within their hiding places in the shadows, but Odette didn’t acknowledge them. She didn’t have that luxury anymore. Whether they were rodents, stray dogs, or beggars, Odette couldn’t wait around to find out.

Her heart lodged in her throat the moment she skidded to an abrupt stop, almost tumbling over from her momentum. She swallowed hard and felt the persistent strike in her chest. It was a dead end.

She ran herself right into a trap.

Oh no, she thought, skin growing cold at the realization.

The clamor of boots against cobblestone made Odette whiz around, forcing her to face her grave mistake head-on.

Multiple soldiers crowded around the one who had been in pursuit of her for some time, all blocking the way out. Their sheer size and numbers were intimidating, but Odette could only focus on looking for any sort of vantage point to somehow escape them.

“Gentlemen.” She curtsied and smiled, “How may I be of help to you, sirs?”

“Drop the act,” a soldier said with a hint of mockery in his tone. “Better give up now and come with us.”

“That is no way to speak to a lady. Didn’t your mothers teach you better?” Odette clenched her jaw and reminded herself to remain calm. She ushered away the panic that crawled beneath her skin and breathed evenly. The men approached her as if they had already won.

She stood defiantly in front of the group of soldiers, her eyes narrowing as she assessed each one of them. She decided that the man who spoke to her first was the ugliest of them all.

“You have nowhere to go now. You’re trapped,” he continued, his voice dripping with malice.

Odette refused to let fear show on her face. “I'd rather die than go with you,” she spat back, her words laced with venom.

A second soldier let out a cruel laugh. “I heard French women prefer it rough.”

Her heart sank, but she refused to let them see her weakness. “I can see your mothers failed in raising you to be true gentlemen.”

“Get her, Collins. We don’t have all day,” someone shouted.

Odette stood her ground, adopting a relaxed posture and placing her hands on her waist. “Let me teach you a valuable lesson your mother didn’t,” she taunted. “You must never underestimate a woman.”

Before the soldier could respond, Odette charged at the ringleader and sent her foot flying. It collided with his face and made a sickening sound. He recoiled at the contact, clutching his face and howling in pain.

“She broke my nose!” he bellowed, pulling his hands back to see his palms streaked in crimson. Blood poured from his nose and smeared against his skin.

There was a flickering pause as the men stared at her in shock, surprised by Odette’s ferocity. Surely they didn’t expect any rebelliousness from a woman like herself.

Laughing at the pained man, she felt no remorse for the soldier. In her mind, he deserved it for even trying to corner her and interfere with her business. She sneered at him, “That’s what you get for underestimating me.”

“Get her!” the soldier shouted, pointing with his free hand while the other held his injury.

The others stormed Odette before she could come up with anything else, yet she struggled against their hands regardless. She pulled and kicked, but it seemed they were suddenly aware of what her feet were capable of and guarded themselves.

She thrashed like an untamed animal, yet she was soon outnumbered. Her arms were pulled behind her back and tied roughly, held in place by the additional men.

Dread trickled down her spine, aware that she had fallen straight into their grasp. It was the very thing she wasn’t supposed to do. She was caught and had no choice but to confront her crimes.

She bit her tongue from spewing every curse and vile thing she could think of, frustrated by not only her capture but for putting herself in that position. She let everyone down.

Another pair of steps echoed around them and captured Odette’s attention. She peered down the alley and found a tall figure with a muscled frame. He approached them, dressed in a formal uniform similar to those restraining her.

He looked important.

The man cleared his throat and straightened his back, face blank. His voice rang with pride, “Odette Toussaint, you are under arrest for treason against the English crown.”

Chapter Two

THEOPHILUS