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That didn’t make Sophie feel any better. She had loved working on the show, and opening night had been more than she’d ever imagined, but being a public figure would only put her and Zach in more danger.
“Mother, we have to find out who’s doing this. If it’s not Mr. Bertram, who could it be?”
“I don’t know, my dear. David?”
“Graves had good evidence implicating Bertram. They found parchments matching the notes to Sophie in his personal belongings, along with a pen and quill, all hidden in his chamber. In addition, Graves said he questioned the messenger boys, and none of them remembered delivering a message to Bertram. Yet Bertram intercepted several and brought them to Sophie. Circumstantial, yes, but it was enough for me to dismiss the man and have him arrested.”
“But what if they’re holding an innocent man?” Sophie said. “That isn’t fair.”
“You’re right,” the earl said. “But I think, at this point, it is best to keep Mr. Bertram incarcerated until we find the real culprit.”
Sophie gulped but nodded. She hated the idea of Mr. Bertram being locked up if he was indeed innocent, but the last thing they needed was one more potential suspect running around. “I just don’t have any idea who it could be.”
“Perhaps one of the cast members of the show?” Iris said.
“I don’t think so. None of them would ever hurt Zach. He’s their meal ticket, after all.”
Brighton nodded. “Sophie makes a good point.”
“In the meantime, I need to go visit Zach at the hospital,” Sophie said. “I’m frightfully worried for him.”
“I’m afraid not, Sophie,” the earl said. “I don’t want you leaving the estate until we find out who is behind this.”
“But…my rehearsals! You cannot keep me here.”
“Oh, I can, and I will. Your safety is paramount.”
?
??I’m afraid I agree with David,” Iris said. “I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you.”
“Nothing’s going to happen to me,” Sophie said. “This person is presumably in love with me. He’s trying to make my life better in his twisted way, not hurt me.”
“Perhaps that is so, but what I said stands. You are not to leave the estate.”
“What if I have some servants escort me?”
“No.” Brighton shook his head. “You are the safest here. For all we know, it is one of our own servants who is doing this to you. After all, we all thought it was Bertram. And it still might be. For now, Sophie, consider yourself under house arrest.”
* * *
Zach trudged through a murky black river, his muscles aching, his mind fraught with exhaustion. All around him was darkness, except for a small sliver of light in the distance. So far away…but it drew him like a magnetic force. He had to keep going… Had to get back…
Back to Sophie…
As he trudged, unintelligible voices murmured above him. He couldn’t make out any words, but they seemed to be urging him toward something, asking him for something…
He lifted his right leg out of the quicksand and stepped forward, drowning it in the murk again. Now the left leg…
The sliver of light started to fade away…
Must keep going… Must make it back to Sophie…
* * *
“Mr. Newland?”
Zach’s eyes fluttered open, his brain a mass of gibberish. A vaguely familiar face hovered above him, shining a light in his eye.
