Page 5 of When the Duke Met His Match

Odette raised a questioning brow, and Lieutenant Wright continued, “It’s your conspirators we want, not you.”

She blinked back at him, then released a laugh that made him scowl. “I will never betray them.”

Wright narrowed his eyes at her, then regained his calm tone. “Our informant told us your name is Odette Toussaint. I’m surprised a lady such as yourself would participate in unlawful activities like this.”

Odette bit back her words and simply stared at the man, unwavering in her conviction.

The lieutenant rested his hands on the back of the empty chair across from Odette, his sight set only on her. “If word gets out about this, it will ruin your reputation and your family’s as well. People are already mistrustful enough of the French.”

She scoffed. “I was only doing my duty to my country.”

The lieutenant's expression remained neutral, but a glint in his eye suggested he wasn't entirely opposed to her reasoning. "I understand your loyalty," he said, his voice calm and measured. "But you and your men have chosen to operate outside the law."

“We didn’t have another choice,” she admitted, the closest thing they’d get to a confession.

The officer drew closer, and his voice dropped to a serious tone. “All I need are the names of your conspirators, and you will be released. That is the only cost of your freedom.”

While it sounded tempting, Odette refused to speak.

Narrowing her eyes, she studied the officer's face. She could tell he meant business, but the thought of betraying her fellow conspirators left a bitter taste in her mouth. "And what if I refuse?" she asked, her voice steady.

The officer's expression hardened, his eyes flickering with impatience. "Then you will face the full consequences of your actions," he replied, his tone clipped. "I can't protect you from the law forever, nor can your comrades." Odette's heart sank, but she remained silent.

Wright huffed and ran a hand over his face before meeting her eyes once more. “I am a patient man and will get those names eventually.”

“I need to speak with my parents.”

It was a simple request, one Odette assumed they would allow.

Lieutenant Wright smiled. He nodded and knocked on the closed door. “I will personally inform them of your situation.”

The door opened once more, and the first guard entered the room. He grabbed Odette’s bound hands and pulled her out while the lieutenant remained in the room, his eyes never leaving her.

She shuffled back into the cell, where the others grumbled from being woken up by the commotion. Facing the back wall, she listened as the iron doors closed with a screech. The cell was locked with a clatter of the key.

Despite his words, Odette had a feeling that Lieutenant Wright didn’t mean what he said. His words sounded hollow.

He had no intention of talking to her parents, and they would have no idea where she was being kept.

Chapter Four

THEOPHILUS

Theophilus' peaceful slumber was shattered by the sound of advancing footsteps and the sudden creak of the bedroom door. His eyes fluttered open just in time to see the curtains being yanked open with a hiss, flooding the room with blinding sunlight. He turned onto his side with a groan and covered his eyes from the scalding brightness.

“Wake up, boy. You are needed,” his father’s voice commanded from across the room.

The boom of his tone made Theophilus’ whole body convulse with dread.

He didn’t remember how he ended up in the bedroom after falling asleep by the hearth, yet Theophilus knew the hour was far too early to be speaking with his father.

A rough hand shook him from his place, and he grumbled from beneath his coverlet.

“Your superiors have called upon you.”

Alarm rang through Theophilus as the words repeated within his mind. Standing up faster than he should have, the whole room spun at once. He gripped one of the wooden posters of his bed to steady himself. The sheets tangled around his legs as he struggled to sit up. His head throbbed with a dull ache, and his mouth tasted dry and bitter.

Theophilus heaved a deep breath and glanced at his father through the agonizingly bright light. “Do you know what I’m being called in for?”