Page 26 of When the Duke Met His Match

Theophilus directed her forward when they were alone, and they went to the door. They slipped out without any further issues and put enough space between themselves and the prisoner before his anger got the best of him.

He was a step ahead of her, stomping with his back turned.

“Do you realize how close we were to being caught? Your anger could’ve ruined everything!”

When she said nothing, he turned on his heel and found Odette standing in place with her eyes closed, facing the night sky.

A cool breeze moved around them as a dog barked in the background and insects whirred. None of it seemed to bother her while she soaked in the peace around her.

“Odette?” he questioned, surprised to see her stopped and seemingly focused on anything other than escaping.

A gentle smile crept onto her face. “I haven’t felt the night breeze on my skin in ages. It feels nice.”

Feeling his own determined exterior begin to crack, he couldn’t help but mirror her pleasant expression.

That fact didn’t occur to him until then. It was impossible for him to fathom what it would feel like to be locked in that place for so long, hidden away from society and everything he took for granted most days.

The contentment stitched into her features was enough to warm his heart, but he needed to focus.

“We must keep moving.”

Odette seemed to understand with her quick nod, and she released a deep breath before meeting his gaze. “Where are we going?”

“We will spend the night at my house. We’ll gather what we need, and in the morning, we’ll go as far away from London as we can.”

Curiosity moved into her expression. “Where are you thinking?”

“We will have to travel to Dover, then sneak onto a ship and set off for France,” he murmured, gesturing for her to follow him. “When we reach Calais, we can think about where what we’re going to do next.”

Theophilus tried his hardest to sound confident and convince her that he knew what he was doing, even if it was the opposite.

A vague hint of relief moved through her eyes, reassuring him that she was still on board.

Even if he wanted to pretend like he had everything figured out, many things could go wrong. One misstep could have them captured and locked away, labeled as traitors. He would truly kiss his freedom goodbye then.

While he was more than willing to sacrifice himself for Odette, he knew it wasn’t just her life on the line.

His was too.

Chapter Fifteen

ODETTE

It was the dead of night by the time the estate came into view, and the chill bit through the uniform that hung from her body.

Odette looked up at the fine home, in awe of its structure and ornate finishings. Dread trickled into her system, aware of what Theophilus sacrificed for her. She couldn't fathom asking such a thing of him; it was an impossible burden to bear.

“We will use the servants’ entrance,” Theophilus murmured to her, gesturing in that direction. “Most of the staff will be in bed by now.”

She nodded in agreement and followed behind him, realizing she had no idea where to go. He guided her through the front gate, then they veered to the right and found the secondary entrance.

They slipped inside and moved as quietly as they could. The house was dark and empty, allowing uninterrupted silence to travel through the space. She closed the door delicately behind them and stayed close to his heels.

Fear spiked in her body as she trod lightly, afraid of being found.

There was no way for Theophilus to explain those circumstances to anyone who caught them, and neither of them could escape that indecency.

They padded through the halls and made their way up the grand staircase, then he ushered her toward his bedroom.