Chapter 3 #2
The effect was startling. She could pass, at a glance, for a boy not yet come of age, a common lad lost to the streets or fields.
Her movements—slightly hunched were agile and purposeful and help to complete the illusion.
As she slinked from shadow to shadow, she kept her gaze sharp, and she listened intently.
She was prepared to catch any whisper or glance that might reveal her target.
Every line of her body, every cautious step, screamed of the life she was willing to risk for the sake of her family.
The secret she carried could not be revealed.
If anyone realized that beneath the dirt, the disguise, and the borrowed garments that she was very much a lady…
It was a dangerous game of her own making, and one wrong move might prove fatal.
But she had to do this. She would risk everything for her family and her foolhardy brother had embroiled himself in a mess that could ruin them all.
If she had not found that letter… She had to discover the identity of the man that was blackmailing Basil.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She could do this. She could…
That blasted letter had led her to this. She could still picture it and the words that had struck terror into her heart…
My Esteemed Lord Whitley,
It has come to my attention through certain channels that your recent actions and your private correspondences have placed you in a position of delicate vulnerability.
You, of all men, should recognize the weight of discretion in matters concerning the Crown.
Your father would be most distressed to discover your proclivities…
He is most active in parliament, is he not?
I am inclined to offer you a choice most advantageous to yourself.
Either you comply with the directions I shall provide in the enclosed instructions, ensuring that your influence and continued position remain unchallenged, or the particulars of your involvement in correspondence with foreign interests—interests inimical to His Majesty’s Government—shall be made public.
Such revelations, as you must know, would be construed as treasonous in the highest degree.
I trust you understand the gravity of this situation.
Any attempt to dismiss or defy my entreaty will result in consequences most dire, both for your reputation and your liberty.
Consider carefully the steps you take, my lord, and remember that prudence in these matters is not merely advisable—it is imperative.
I await your acquiescence, and I assure you that time is of the essence.
Yours in mutual understanding,
A Friend Concerned with Your Interests
The instructions had not been with the letter.
She still did not know what her brother had involved himself in.
All she knew for certain was that it was not good, and it would shame their father.
She had followed Basil when he left home earlier that evening.
She had prepared herself to blend in after she overheard him tell his valet he was going to a seedier part of London.
She could not appear in such a location in her usual attire. She would be a sure target if she had…
The problem… She had lost sight of her brother, and she would have to go back the way she had come.
This had proved to be a futile endeavor.
A door opened nearby and she froze. Moonlight filled the alleyway, and she had almost nowhere to hide.
She hid behind a large crate and prayed.
Sabrina glanced through a crack and stared at the two individuals that had stepped outside.
She held her breath as recognition took hold.
The man stood with the commanding presence of someone accustomed to attention without ever seeking it.
His dark hair, glossy and thick, fell in deliberate disarray that somehow only added to his appeal.
Deep green eyes, the color of freshly sprung leaves in spring, held both mischief and intensity, seeming to pierce right through to the heart of anyone he regarded—and Sabrina knew this with a certainty she shouldn’t.
His broad shoulders tapered into a lean, muscular frame that hinted at strength honed through both discipline and purpose.
Tall and well-proportioned, he moved with the ease of a predator, confident in both his physicality and the quiet magnetism he exuded.
There was a sensuality to him that was impossible to ignore yet tempered by a certain restraint—a promise that one would have to earn to uncover what lay beneath the surface.
It was Leander—her Leander. The one man she had always loved and had never truly been hers.
He had treated her as inconsequential and had run off to war.
He had never looked back and never apologized for anything.
He owned her heart and didn’t even know it.
If he found her here… It would all be over.
She could not allow him to find her. She held her breath and waited, praying the entire time that he would not walk in her direction.
A noise in the distance caught his attention and he turned toward it.
His companion followed after him as they went to investigate.
Sabrina took that opportunity to slink away in the opposite direction.
It was time to return home. Perhaps her best course of action would be to confront her brother.
Perhaps then she could find a way out of their current dilemma.