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“Yes, my lady.” Mr. Landon cleared his throat. “I would be greatly honored, Lady Alexandra, if you—”
“Stop this instant!” Alexandra balled her hands into fists.
“This is what you wanted,” Evan said, “is it not?”
At any other time, Evan’s words would have filled her with embarrassment. At this moment, the only thing Ally wanted was to know who had sent these notes and what they meant. The one about the secret unnerved her. She hadn’t known which secret it referred to—her tormented childhood, or… The arrival of the second note made clear it was the other.
She wasn’t doing anything wrong, per se—nothing that others before her hadn’t done. And she certainly wasn’t hurting anyone. She enjoyed what she did, and she made some money. What was wrong with writing erotic stories for The Ruby?
And what did all of this have to do with Evan?
She had to come clean with him. She would tell him what she had been doing. It was the only way.
She grabbed his arm, and another knock pounded on the door. Woods walked around them and opened the door.
An errand boy stood outside. “I have a message from the Brighton estate for Lord Evan.”
Woods gave the boy a few coins and took the message. “Thank you.” He handed the envelope to Evan.
Evan tore it open, and his eyes went wide.
Ally’s heart dropped. Probably another ominous message… But no, the errand boy had said it was from the Brighton estate.
“What is it?” she asked.
Evan’s face paled. Ally had never seen him like this. He was worried. His lips trembled.
“Please, Evan, what is it?”
“It’s Sophie.” He swallowed. “She hasn’t been seen since yesterday morning.”
* * *
Sophie had lost track of time. She’d been abducted early in the morning, but the room where she was being kept had no windows, and without a timepiece, she had no way of knowing what time it was, or even what day it was. She’d been fed three times now, and the lady in grey had come in several other times to empty her chamber pot. No one had allowed her to speak yet, and she still had no idea what was going on.
Her immediate fear had abated a bit. She could handle the sparse meals, her body and mind remembering such smaller repasts. Since her father had died, and she, her mother, and Ally had been taken care of by their mother’s sister, the Countess of Ashford, they no longer had to go to bed with their bellies only half-full. She’d gotten used to having enough to eat. It was a luxury so many took for granted.
No, what she couldn’t handle was not knowing what was happening. She’d stopped worrying so much for safety. They hadn’t hurt her yet and probably would not. But why had they taken her? She was nobody. Truly.
She looked up as the grey woman entered once again. An older gentleman accompanied her, also dressed in grey. His beard and mustache were grey. His countenance was grey. He was simply grey, inside and out.
She didn’t dare speak, although they had removed the gag.
“My lady,” the grey woman said, “this is Nigel Ryland.”
Ryland nodded. “My lady,” he said, his voice low and toneless.
Sophie nodded in return.
Ryland sat down in a chair next to Sophie’s table. “I suppose you’re wondering what you’re doing here.”
Sophie nodded again.
“We are members of a group crusading against the publication and distribution of obscene literature.”
Sophie widened her eyes. What would they want with her then? She knew nothing about obscene literature. She certainly wouldn’t go anywhere near it.
“So I’m sure you can guess why we’ve brought you here.”
