Page 52 of When the Duke Met His Match

Theophilus was somewhat surprised by her boldness, yet he couldn’t deny how that sparked a feeling of admiration in him.

“Alright then,” he murmured, tucking the money into his pocket. His arms crossed once again. “The Red Sparrow is a pub on the outskirts of town, full of thievin’ criminals and those looking to become like ‘em. It’s not much, but like-minded folks seem to gather there. Head east and you’ll find it no problem. But guard whatever money you have left or risk it being taken.”

Sure to store the information away for later, Theophilus nodded. It only made sense, seeing as the rebels needed a place to discuss the overthrowing of a king. There was no better place than somewhere with other criminals.

The man glanced between them again, almost suspiciously. “They’ll gobble you two up faster than anythin’ else in there. Do you have business there?”

“No.”

“That’s none of your business,” Odette returned, gaze sharp.

The longer he looked at them, the more worried Theophilus was that the man knew something about the bounty. He couldn’t risk it.

“We won’t keep you any longer, sir. Thank you for the information,” he murmured, gesturing for her to follow.

The man pulled a partially-toothless smile for them. “No, thank you,” he said, surely giddy about the easy money he managed to make. He turned away and continued down the alley.

Looping an arm through Odette’s to pull her forward, Theophilus sighed and felt what was left of the money in his pocket. He had to pay a significant amount for only a few sentences of intel, and he wasn’t sure how much longer they’d be able to manage with it.

He wondered if there would be a way to pick up odd jobs to pad their pockets in the meantime.

“That was something, I suppose,” she murmured with her hands in her pockets and her head down.

Shoving his thoughts aside, Theophilus glanced over at her. “We need to go there tonight.” He recentered himself with a careful breath and spoke calmly, “The sooner, the better.”

The whole day had been fraught with tension for Odette, as had the days leading up to their current predicament. However, now that she was able to participate in the search alongside him, she appeared to be somewhat more at ease. He was determined not to cause her any alarm by appearing uncertain of himself or his makeshift plans.

Odette silently walked beside him, her demeanor betraying nothing of the turmoil that churned within her. Concealing her true identity had become second nature to her by now, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of dread as he realized how precarious their situation was.

As they navigated through the bustling crowd, he found himself yearning to discern what was going on inside her mind. However, it felt as though they had regressed to their initial days in the interrogation room, with Odette refusing to provide him with anything other than cryptic responses. But this time, he was at a loss, unsure how to penetrate the barriers she had erected.

Theophilus longed to provide Odette with everything she desired, including the security and stability that they both craved. Alerting the king of the impending danger seemed like the most viable solution, but it felt so far away.

Wind swept through the marketplace while the merchants called out to the passing civilians, trying to sell their goods. The bustle and noise were constant, even as the day waned into the evening.

“You, stop there!” a voice called from behind them, stern with authority.

Theophilus’ heart lodged in his throat, and he dreaded looking back. Instead, he whispered to Odette, “Keep your head down and keep walking.”

Her eyes were wide with fear, and she instinctively tucked herself against his side, keeping up her pace.

“If we don’t react, they won’t know it’s us,” he murmured, keeping his gaze low.

While he needed to be calm and collected, his own rush of panic had his feet moving faster, desperate to get out of there and break away. Their plan would be much harder to follow if they had been caught.

Their shoes never stopped padding against the cobblestones, focused on the unmarked path ahead.

There was a stir in the crowd that made his heart lurch.

“In the name of his majesty, I order you to stop,” the voice rang out as if slicing his skin like the edge of a blade.

Theophilus sucked in a big breath, wishing he could hold Odette’s hand to reassure her that everything would be fine. But he couldn’t risk giving away that they were together. That would only further confirm their identities.

Chancing a look over his shoulder, his pulse rang in his ears. Two soldiers wearing navy blue uniforms caught his eye, moving straight toward them with their gazes set. They had been found out, after all.

Moving faster as if a fire had been set beneath them, he turned to Odette and spoke as firmly as he could manage. “You need to go to the Red Sparrow by yourself. I will try to distract them to buy you some time.”

His words were quick, yet their impact seemed to hit Odette even faster. Her alarmed eyes flashed in his direction. “No! You can’t leave me. You promised we would do this together.”