The next few days that followed were nothing short of a blur for Triana. She felt as if her mother had dragged her to every modiste in London as a wedding trousseau was hastily prepared. As if the monotony of endless dress fittings wasn’t punishment enough, she had to deal with Eastbury and his increasing presence in their house. It was like some sort of miserable play where she had suddenly taken center stage.
It was only in the darkest hours, when she was in her bed that the nightmare ceased to exist. It was here that she kept Gabriel’s handkerchief close to her heart and dreamt of his lips on hers — his hands caressing her body — as she drifted into a wonderland of fantasy. And while she hadn’t yet contrived of the perfect scheme to rid herself of her virtue, she promised herself it was only a matter of time.
Unfortunately, time was not a commodity she had in abundance, for her wedding was only four weeks away. She’d actually had to beg and plead for that long, as Eastbury had already procured a special license. However, she’d given the excuse that her trousseau was not yet ready and she wished to have plenty of gowns to take on her honeymoon trip, as horrifying a thought as that was.
Thus, it was on a night like this that not even a restless sleep would claim her, so after shrugging on her dressing gown, Triana padded downstairs and headed toward the library, her favorite sanctuary, hoping that a bit of reading might grant her that semblance of tranquility she was needing.
But as she passed by her brother’s study, she hesitated, thinking that she heard a noise. After a few minutes, she heard it again — a light scratching coming from within.
She ignoring the apprehension clawing at her gut and raised her hand to knock, but then slowly lowered it. She had barely exchanged three words with her brother since their confrontation in this very room. Perhaps she ought to just ignore the noise — whatever it was. She had no doubt that’s what her brother would want. But even though they were hardly on speaking terms at the moment, she still loved him, and now that she knew the sort of danger he posed to himself every day, that concern had only grown.
With a deep breath, she pushed opened the door enough to peek inside.
It was dark; the only illumination coming from the ghostly glow of the moon shining through the windows, but she was able to make out Travell’s outline. He was standing by the bookcase, his back to her.
He shoved in one of the leather bound volumes and she heard a click, as if a latch had just come undone. To her astonishment, one of the shelf casings opened to reveal a shadowy figure standing on the other side. Triana knew she wouldn’t have believed it if she hadn’t just witnessed it with her own eyes, but at least that explained how Gabriel had gotten in and out of the study undetected. Her heart thumped at the very thought it might be him, but after listening to her brother’s brief conversation with the stranger, she realized her hopes had been for naught. Either way, a round of anxious gooseflesh broke out on her arms.
“What do you have for me?” Travell asked impatiently, to which the messenger handed him a sealed missive. He ripped it open and swiftly read the contents, before giving a foul curse, the likes of which she’d never heard him use before. Stunned at what she was seeing, it took Triana a moment to comprehend that her brother was starting to pull on his boots. He was going to leave.
Terror filled her lungs, so she rushed into the room. Her only thought was to stop her brother from doing something foolish. “Where are you going?”
Travell didn’t even pause in his task, although the dark figure waiting for him seemed to stiffen slightly at this sudden intrusion. Without looking up, her brother took a deep breath and said curtly; “I’ll be there in a moment.” Once the other man had vanished, Travell addressed her. “I have reason to believe another agent may have been compromised.”
“Then why are you leaving?” she demanded.
“I’ve been in this game a long time, Tri. I know what to do.”
She clenched her fists in mounting irritation. “That’s not an answer to my question.”
Travell stood and threw a dark cloak around his broad shoulders. “I don’t have time to discuss this right now.”
Triana’s eyes filled with angry tears. “Then make the time!” Silence surrounded them, so she put a hand to her forehead in an attempt to regain her composure. “Please don’t go, Travell.”
He strode over to her and put his hands on her shoulders. He looked down at her in that firm, brotherly way of his and stated calmly, “Don’t worry about me. I won’t do anything foolish.” He gave her a kiss on the forehead and ruffled her hair like when they were children, and then he left, pulling the bookcase shut behind him.
Triana stood in shock for a full minute, before frustration took over and she began a relentless stalk across the floor.How dare he expect me to just curl up and go to sleep like a good little girl when he is out risking his life!Surely he could see that it didn’t matter if he’d done this kind of thing before. The difference was now sheknewabout it.
But what could she do? She had no idea about the underground networking of a ring of spies, where they were going, or how they even maneuvered! Besides, hadn’t she already proven how her skills at intrigue lacked the night she’d followed Gabriel into the Westerville’s garden?
And this time, there was so much more at stake. It was a matter of life and death.
And Travell was right in the midst of it.
As if an invisible arm reached out, Triana abruptly stopped her pacing. This was her brother’s life she was debating, not what dress to wear to afternoon tea! It should be clear as to what she had to do. Whether she failed or not was up to fate, but at least she could say she didn’t just sit idly by while her brother courted death.
Fear gave her feet wings as Triana fairly flew up the stairs to Travell’s bedroom. She hastily rummaged through his wardrobe and soon found what she needed. Thankfully, she didn’t have anything more than her nightdress and robe to contend with, as her fingers fumbled with the buttons of the oversized shirt and trousers she slipped on. It seemed to take an eternity to get her disguise in order, but once she was finished, she stepped back and surveyed her handiwork in the full-length mirror.
Satisfied that she looked enough like a small lad to fool the untrained eye in the dark, Triana added the finishing touch. She shoved her long, dark hair beneath a hat and pulled the brim down low on her forehead. She grabbed a pair of boots and one of her brother’s black cloaks and made her way back down to the study, hoping the overlarge boots flopping around didn’t wake the entire household. Once behind the closed door, Triana began the search for the hidden bookcase lever. She tried several books before she found the correct tome. It was obvious when she touched it, for it felt different from the rest of the leather bound volumes.
With a frown of concentration, she remembered what Travell had done and shoved it in as far as it would go. A click resounded throughout the room.
Victory!The bookcase popped open, and she nearly sagged with relief. Already it seemed as if too much time had passed. She only hoped her luck would hold out and she would be able to find where Travell and the mysterious stranger had gone.
But who knew what lurked beyond this false wall in the utter darkness?
Triana quickly located a candle and holder on Travell’s desk. Praying that the flame didn’t sputter and die, she pulled the bookcase closed behind her, sent up a prayer, and started forward.
The first thing she found was a room, complete with a table and a handful of chairs not far from the back of the bookcase. Obviously this was used to conduct meetings of a clandestine nature. She shook her head in amazement.
