Fat tears rolled down her cheeks.
No, I won’t believe it. I can’t!
Julian, her witty, kind, warm, and generous young man, as her aunts called him—the man she’d fallen in love with could not be dead. He was in her heart, she reasoned.
I would feel it if something had happened to him. I would.
Willow whined. “I know you’re scared, baby,” she whispered. “But we must be as quiet as that mouse. We need to be brave. I need to think about a way to get us out of here.” Serafina studied the windows that ran along the top of the wall, but her attention kept returning to the one that was in the far corner. It was broken, but there was something else about it. Was the frame loose?
If she could find something to stand on, she could check. Looking around, she saw a crate full of…some sort of stone tiles. They would be heavy, but if she could get them out of the crate, she could stand on it and try to pry open the window. She couldpass Willow out and follow her. The thought of freedom being that close made her more determined.
Footsteps at the top of the stairs made her put her ear to the door.
“Have you fed her? I don’t want her fainting from hunger,” the baron said.
“Yes, my lord. The stew from last week.”
Her stomach churned thinking of the plate she had passed to the mouse.
The baron made a sound of disgust. “I brought a few fresh supplies and left them in the kitchen. There are some roast fowl and potatoes. Make a fresh plate for the girl. Where are the other men?”
“They went outside to relieve themselves,” Toothless said.
“All four of them?”
“I believe they might also be playing a game of dice in the alley.”
“For God’s sake, I don’t pay you good money to waste time. This isn’t a holiday.”
“They were bored, my lord. I reckon they’ll be back inside soon enough.”
“Go check on them. If they’ve abandoned us, I’ll dock your wages. You swore they were reliable.”
“They are. I’ve never done a job without them. They said they would only be a few minutes.”
“Surely, you didn’t feed them that rotten food. They could be bent over somewhere, throwing up their guts,” the baron said.
“I ate the stew. I didn’t get sick,” Toothless said.
“Well, that’s not surprising. But something about this doesn’t feel right. I think it’s time we leave. Bring the carriage around. We’ll move the girl to the other place.”
The footsteps receded, and Serafina began to shake. There wasn’t enough time to empty the crate and try to escape throughthe window. She needed to find a weapon, and fast. “Willow, I’m going to look for a way to protect us.” And then she saw a shaft of light illuminate something shiny across the room.
Hurrying over to the metal object, she grinned. “It’s scissors. I think these will do nicely, Willow,” she said, picking them up.
The pup wagged her tail in agreement.
Serafina figured the building had once been a sewing factory, as she slid the scissors into the pocket of her gown beneath her cloak.
Suddenly, she heard muffled voices and footsteps from somewhere upstairs. She hurried back to the door and pressed her ear to the wood. She strained her ears and then gasped. The voices sounded like Julian and her uncle! Her heart soared. Julian was alive! Thank God! Serafina could also make out Edward’s voice. And she wasn’t certain, but it sounded as if the Duke of Danforth was with them.They found us!
Then she heard a creak at the top of the stairs and then the shuffle of footsteps. Someone was coming down. But whoever it was, it wasn’t her uncle or the others. And if it had been them, they would have called out. It could only be one of the baron’s men or the baron himself.
Picking up Willow, she ran back to the wall and braced herself. “Hush, Willow, and stay hidden,” she whispered as she placed the pup behind her. Serafina prayed Willow would stay quiet.
She felt for the scissors and tried to calm her breathing. Whomever this was, she would be ready to pounce.
The lock on the door clicked, and the heavy door groaned as it was opened.
