Page 41 of When the Duke Met His Match

THEOPHILUS

Odette slept soundly in the bed, tucked beneath the blankets with her head nestled in the pillows. Her blonde hair was splayed behind her beautifully, reminding Theophilus of how her tresses sweeping across her neck and shoulders had captured his attention before.

While the prospect of sleeping next to her was appealing, he knew it wasn’t possible for him to get any sleep yet. He was far too awake from their endeavors and needed a distraction from his pressing thoughts on their escape.

Since she was peaceful at last, he didn’t wish to disturb her sleep and carefully snuck out of bed.

He adjusted the blankets to keep her warm and mussed his hair before leaving the room and closing the door behind him. He padded down the hall and made his way downstairs. Already, he could hear the enthusiastic chatter from the public below.

The inn was still bustling as he searched for a proper drink. It had been some time since his last one, and he longed for that escape to regain a small sense of normalcy despite his uncertain circumstances.

Laughter and the sound of clinking cups moved through the establishment as everyone seemed to be in good spirits. Comforted by the sentiment that reminded him of the gentlemen’s clubs he used to frequent, he almost felt at home.

Liquor and cheap drinks wafted through the air, along with the less appealing odor of sweat and mediocre food. However, it was exactly the scene he had grown accustomed to over the years.

While his quaint clubs were more to his taste, he wasn’t shy when it came to rundown pubs and any other place that served whatever they had on tap that night. He made a big enough name for himself that even the locals recognized him and accompanied him through his long nights of drinking.

They weren’t his finest moments, but the inn reminded him of how easily one could fit into that scene so long as they drank and observed.

After ordering his ale, Theophilus moved to a far corner at a secluded table. He sat on one of the wooden chairs and watched the nearby patrons carry on with their debauchery.

He let the image of Odette with her smooth, soft neck as she pulled her hair back for him linger in his mind. He pondered the memory of how she keened for him, desperate for more of his touch.

She had been as enchanting as an angel yet demanding like a tigress. No part of him wanted it to end, yet Odette had been spent enough to drift right off to sleep.

While it not only gave him a taste of how sweet and sensual she was, he also hoped it offered her the relief she needed.

He drank in silence, hoping to blend in with the others. Normally, he wasn’t one to drink alone and rather preferred to be surrounded by his acquaintances, but he didn’t know anyone there. It seemed more suitable to keep to himself and refrain from freely giving out his identity.

He couldn’t allow anyone to have that over his head, not when their lives were on the line.

As the ale ran down his throat, he began to imagine how much everything would change for them. In France, he wouldn’t be a future duke. He had no prospects and none of the fineries he was accustomed to. He was merely himself and in need of a new identity.

At the same time, Odette wouldn’t be a traitor or a criminal. She had the chance to start over.

That outweighed his losses, even if he would surely miss his family with time and distance. But he couldn’t dwell on it.

Once his drink was nearly finished, Theophilus’ attention was captured when the inn doors opened, and two uniformed men entered. His stomach dropped, and his heart nearly stopped beating altogether.

Not here, he begged silently, not putting his glass down for the sake of seeming normal. Not now.

He urged himself to relax and drew a careful sip from his ale. He needed to seem inconspicuous or risk being singled out by the officers.

For all he knew, they were there to enjoy themselves as everyone else did. He hoped it was the case.

The navy-blue-clad officers moved through the room and found the innkeeper behind the counter. While the man didn’t seem too alarmed, their presence seemed somewhat stressful. One of them silently motioned toward the back of the establishment, and the owner seemed to understand.

Curious, Theophilus stood and kept his eyes on them while they moved to a far room and disappeared behind a door. He made sure to keep enough distance between them, moving casually as if he wasn’t up to anything suspicious.

Swallowing the bile that crept up his throat, he stood beside the doorframe that was cracked just enough for the voices to reach him. He took a deep breath and waited. Fortunately, the others drank and paid no mind to him, surely in their drunken stupors.

The men greeted the owner as if they had known each other for some time, chatting quietly between themselves.

Through the door, he heard one of the officers murmur, “We will get right to it and spare you the headache. Have you had any unusual customers lately?”

“Not that I can say,” the owner returned lightly with a curious tone. “No one has appeared unusual to our regular patronage.”

“Surely you come across many people in a day, and it can be hard to distinguish criminals from honest travelers,” the second officer murmured.