Page 46 of When the Duke Met His Match

There was no time to waste, not when they needed to get on the ship as quickly as possible. They couldn’t afford any distractions.

Relieved, he caught up to her and grabbed her bicep carefully enough not to hurt her yet forcefully enough that she couldn’t break away again. They needed to leave before anyone could find them.

“What are you doing?” he whispered harshly to her, taking in that perplexed expression on her face. “We need to get on that ship before it leaves without us, remember?”

Odette didn’t even spare him a glance while her attention was claimed by something ahead. He couldn’t decipher the thoughts moving through her eyes.

“It’s Pierre,” she murmured, pointing at someone on the other side of the market. “I know him from when I was in…”

She trailed off, but Theophilus knew she was talking about the rebel group.

Following the end of her finger, he found a young man with auburn curls waiting outside an alleyway. While it would’ve seemed harmless, the way she looked at Pierre made something stir inside his chest.

It slithered into place like an unholy snake, making his lips turn down. He glanced over at Odette and noted how that unfamiliar feeling seemed to grow a mind of its own.

Jealousy bit at his heart and urged him to pull her away. He wanted to demand that she board the ship with him and forget about Pierre. But he didn’t.

Odette released a steady breath and nodded as if affirming her thoughts. “I’m going to talk to him.”

Irritation stitched into his features. “What are you talking about?”

Before she could walk away, she hesitated the moment two large men with tattered clothing that fit tightly to their burly chests and backs approached Pierre. Intrigued, Theophilus knew they looked like trouble. Surely, nothing good would come of it.

With mutual nods to one another, the men walked alongside Pierre and made their way deeper into the marketplace, where the street became grittier and concealed by the looming buildings overhead.

It didn’t look good, but part of him hoped it would deter Odette from pursuing things any further.

“Do you know them too?” he asked.

“No, I don’t. I’ve never seen them in my life, but that’s exactly it,” she said, still watching as the men disappeared. “Do you think Pierre’s in danger?”

Theophilus sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, his nerves fraying with the ship still on his mind. They had come so far and even risked sneaking out of the inn to make it on time. “Odette, we don’t have time for this.”

“I know,” she uttered with desperation lingering in her voice and eyes. She vaguely gestured toward the direction they went in. “But you saw them. They could hurt Pierre. We can’t let that happen.”

Gritting his teeth, Theophilus knew what she was about to ask him. Dread trickled into his heart, and he shook his head in disbelief.

“We still have time,” she persisted with conviction in her eyes. “I just want to make sure he’s okay, then we can go for good.”

Taking a deep breath, he felt he had no choice. Something within him tried to say it was a bad idea, but he pushed it away.

“Fine. But make it quick.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

ODETTE

Odette couldn’t believe her eyes. Never in her wildest dreams did she think Pierre would stumble back into her life again, even if he weren’t aware of it. It was surreal and impossible to fully grasp.

The thought of being reunited once more struck a sensitive nerve within her since he had been a part of her childhood memories and represented a simpler time.

They grew up together in France, where they both cherished that era before anyone knew about the war and everything was taken away from them.

She steadied her breathing and followed closely with Theophilus in tow. Impatient to get to the bottom of it, she let her feet carry her like she was prepared to tap on Pierre’s shoulder and receive a look of gentle familiarity. She wanted to be told nothing was wrong, that it was only a misunderstanding.

Even as they moved into a more secluded part of town that made her skin crawl, it seemed insignificant compared to the fact that Pierre was nearby and potentially in trouble. She couldn’t live with herself if she had simply boarded the ship without finding out for herself. She would be ruined to find out something happened to him all because she turned the other cheek.

That childish hope within her wouldn’t allow it.