Page 47 of When the Duke Met His Match

Theophilus’ hand against her shoulder made Odette pause and glance at him, somewhat irritated that he was slowing her progress. “Slow down. We need to be careful in case they know they’re being followed. Hang back.”

Even if she didn’t want to admit it, he was right. It would be foolish for them to get caught in the chase. There was a chance it would end in detriment for them.

Nodding absently, she continued at a gentler pace, still just as eager to find Pierre and the men again. Doing as Theophilus had asked, she was more careful about looking around corners and peering down smaller alleys, on the lookout for anyone lingering in the darkness.

Silence lingered between them as they went, and she found herself surprised by how far in they were. Even so, she was determined not to drop the trail.

The quiet scuff of their shoes against stone seemed much louder in the deafening quiet between them until Theophilus’ hushed voice broke through it. His words rattled inside her mind.

“Who is this man, this Pierre?”

Odette sighed and halted her steps, not knowing where to begin. She had plenty of memories with Pierre that she could’ve divulged to him—how he often joined her in the lavender fields, how her father would invite him over for meals and outings, and how they used to share their hopes and dreams with one another.

There was never an ounce of judgment between them, and Odette had been thankful for him with each passing day.

Instead, she murmured, “We grew up together. I’ve known him since we were only kids. He came to London with me after his older brother died in the war. I hadn’t seen him for some time.”

Theophilus’ gaze studied her closely as if he was hoping to hear more. “Is that all he is to you?”

“Why are you asking?” she returned, somewhat offended by the implication of his question.

Not satisfied with the answer, he persisted, gesturing vaguely to her. “Was there something between you?”

He wants to know that I’m not chasing after Pierre for other reasons, she thought to herself. She released a breath and averted her gaze.

“Not from my end, but his feelings ran deeper than mine,” she murmured, almost embarrassed to admit it. “It drove a wedge between us, but he had been such a loyal friend that I couldn’t stand the thought of casting him away for his feelings. I was afraid he would resent me for it.”

While she expected Theophilus to say something to dig deeper, to ask more questions, he didn’t say anything. It made anxious butterflies move within Odette’s stomach, for she didn’t want him to question her feelings.

“It’s the truth. I always saw him as a brother, but I had been more than that for him. There wasn’t anything I could do to discourage him.”

Once Theophilus’ expression relaxed and he nodded his understanding, he motioned toward the dank alleyway ahead of them.

Glad to see that he had dropped the matter, Odette started up in the direction Pierre and the two men had gone. Assuming they had enough time to distance themselves, she didn’t bother slowing down.

The scuttle of rats and distant drip drops of water echoed through the space, and while it was unnerving, the quiet allowed her to hear the hushed sound of voices. Following that noise, she reached a secluded alley and stopped.

Peering around the corner, Odette found Pierre, the intimidating men, and a few others on the left side. Breath catching in her throat, she pulled back and leaned into the wall. Curious, she tried to get a better look despite the bricks distorting her vision.

“Zack and Fergus are here too,” she whispered, her eyes wide with surprise. She craned her neck to meet Theophilus’ curious stare. “What are they all doing here?”

He put a finger against his lips for her to be quiet as the murmur of their voices traveled far enough for them to hear. They only needed to focus, and surely they would pick up on their words.

Odette nodded once and leaned into the building, focusing only on what she could hear.

Their voices sounded like a jumble she couldn’t quite understand at first until Pierre’s words came out clearer.

“Is everything ready?”

“Everything is ready. Our informant told us the king would be attending the general’s ball as we previously guessed,” one of the other men said.

Furrowing her brows, Odette couldn’t understand why they would be talking about the king.

“This is our chance to strike,” Fergus said, his voice ringing like a haunting specter from her past. “We’ll end this now, once and for all.”

“They won’t know what hit them.”

“Eliminating him while the iron is hot will toss the country into chaos,” Zack added.