Three years ago...

Ralph slowly made his way to the crowd of familiar people. Except that he did not know the lady in blue—and the two gentlemen standing at both sides of her, as if it was their life's mission to place their lives between her and death.

In Ralph's mind, he recognized the challenge. The two gentlemen looked young, but something in their eyes spoke of many years of adventure.

He was even more curious now as he witnessed how his older brother, Levi and his wife, Lady Victoria, chatted with Lady in Blue and her two companions with too much familiarity.

Why in the bloody hell had he never heard of her? Why did it seem that his entire family knew her?

Where did she come from?

He slowly inched near, cautiously so as not to alarm the lady in blue.

Ralph breathed a sigh of relief when finally he managed to join the circle. Everyone's attention turned to him as he uttered, "Hello, family—and friends." He addressed the first two words to Emma, Levi and Victoria. He addressed the last two to the lady in blue and her companions.

He saw a flicker of panic flash before the mysterious woman's beautiful eyes and although Ralph would have loved to see what color they were, she veered away from him.

She wanted to escape, he thought. But it seemed that Emma, Levi and Victoria were her prison.

Ralph triumphantly smiled.

Ah, this shall be a very fun night.

*****

Grey's had always been the same. Its loud gaming rooms still filled with laughing and drunken lords and gentlemen; drinks still poured endlessly, fueling parched members.

But there were many other things that changed for Ralph.

Gone were the nights when he spent almost every bloody night at Grey's with his brothers. Their nights there had now been limited by other matters such as marriage, children and estate concerns. Ralph could very well understand estate concerns but never the former two.

Stepping into Grey's nowadays was similar to stepping into Beechworth. Grey's bombarded him with memories of many insane nights he spent with his brothers while Beechworth brought many memories of his father while when he was still alive and spent many countless hours at Beechworth to oversee the production of the jewelries.

Ralph did not hate going to Grey's for there were still nights when one or two of his brothers and now, even his brothers-in-law, could join him. Beechworth, on the other hand, was still painful thus his apartment in Wickhurst was still his preferred residence. He could spend days without going to Beechworth in the past, but these past few months seemed to prove that he was meant to be there.

Ah, how he missed the days when he was the youngest brother of the Everards and the older one for both Ysabella and Emma; those days when he had no other concerns but to get his first lover and then the next, those moments when his purpose in life was to make Ysabella and Emma's life a living hell.

But time flew fast. And it started when their eldest brother, Benedict, married his wife and took permanent residence in Devonshire. Levi followed and then Margaret. And Ysabella. And Maxwell. And now Nicholas.

Ralph merely hoped that his brother would get the happy marriage he deserved. Fast if necessary because Ralph knew Nicholas too well. His brother would never return to how he was before unless Sophia was back; unless he had the kind of happiness he had been avoiding for too long in the past before he met the woman and fell in love.

"Where have you been to these past weeks?" asked Samuel Theobald, Ralph's friend and the brother of Maxine Theobald, his sister-in-law and the wife of his brother, Maxwell.

Ralph sighed. He looked at Samuel. His pale grey eyes were similar to his sister's, but unlike Maxine, Samuel took Lord Theobald's blonde locks and sharp facial features. But then, unlike his father, Samuel was smaller in built, nearly lanky—almost the same as his friend, Wynne Hastings.

Ralph turned to look at Wynne, a dark-haired young man who wore the bulkiest clothing too large for his own size and who seemed to always wear a blank look, making one assume the lad was mentally absent.

"I reckon the two of you have grown to love this place?"

Samuel cocked a brow. "You know I love Grey's, Ralph."

Ralph shrugged. It was true. Samuel often joined him and his brothers in the past, gambling away money and drinking until the wee hours.

"I do not particularly like it," Hastings uttered, sipping from his brandy. The man looked like he was drinking spoiled milk.

"How is Nick?" Samuel asked. When Ralph warily looked at Wynne, his friend added, "Wynne is the one who makes certain Sophia's abduction does not appear on The Town Herald."

"Because Lord Durley ordered it," Wynne corrected.

Ralph remained silent. Of course the Durley would order it.

"Do you need help?" Samuel urged, concern in his face.

Ralph shifted in his chair and considered his next question without planning to answer the one asked by his friend. His eyes studied Samuel.

His friend had been spending time with Ysabella and Emma, most particularly Emma, more than he ought to. Ralph knew the reason behind it but he had always made it a point that Samuel reconsidered his feelings for the youngest Everard for the man must know what shall befall him should his friend's shallow courting turn to worse.

If he must make it difficult for Samuel, then he shall. The man must prove himself further. It was not that Ralph could not trust Samuel, but he simply could not trust anyone to be with Emma. And although he was uncomfortable with the special attention Samuel provided their sister, Ralph was quite comfortable that Emma had a form of protection whenever none of her brothers were in Wickhurst.

And he was also certain that there were things Samuel knew that he did not. Hell, he was almost certain there were things the twins could never confide in him that they had already shared with Samuel without inhibitions.

"As a matter of fact, Samuel, I do have a question," he slowly uttered, locking gaze with his friend. "By chance, are you aware that my sisters are friends with a certain bandit?"

The truth was immediately plastered over his friend's face. Samuel blanched and swallowed hard. "How the bloody hell did you know?"

Ralph had truly wanted it to be false. Truly, he did! It would have made things a tad less complicated. But the bandit had been telling the truth.

"His sisters are friends with bandits?" Wynne asked in disbelief.

"Just one," Ralph corrected.

But Samuel was already shaking his head.

Ralph scowled. "You mean there are more?"

Samuel cleared his throat, uncomfortably shifting in his chair as Ralph glared at him and Wynne gawked.

"Bloody tarnation, Sam!" Ralph erupted, grabbing attention from the table behind him. He leaned closer and hissed at his friend. "You knew about it and you did not tell me!"

Samuel looked more uncomfortable now as he winced, as if in pain. "I—well, they are good people."

"Good? Bandits are good?"

Samuel groaned. He started to reach for his drink by Ralph took it away. Wynne remained gawking, his mouth hanging open in disbelief.

"I would have told you if your other siblings are not familiar with—"

"What do you mean by other siblings?"

Samuel closed his eyes. When he opened them he looked around, as if looking for an escape route.

"What do you mean by other siblings, Samuel?"

Samuel gulped. "Your other siblings—Levi, Max, Nick..." Ralph leaned back, jaw dropping. "And Margaret."

He shot to his feet. "No, that is not possible. Margaret would have—"

"I am afraid that is true—"

"You bloody tell me the truth, Samuel, and cease talking about lies—"

"I never lie, Ralph," Samuel stonily uttered, taking offense. "I do keep secrets, but I do not lie."

Wynne nodded as he turned to Ralph. "That is correct."

Ralph stood there, looking down at his friend in disbelief.

"I suggested telling you but they all thought it was not necessary as the bandits they are familiar with have never robbed from them."

And we should've stolen from all Everards when we had the chance!

The bandit's words rang in his ears. Bloody hell.

"How did you know?" Samuel cautiously asked. He also looked nervous.

"Why in bloody hell do you care how I knew?" Ralph snapped.

Samuel cleared his throat. "Because your sisters would demand that of me."

He cocked his brow. "How certain are you that they are not the ones who told me?"

Samuel rolled his eyes and sighed. "If they did, they would have told you everything. You know the twins. The moment they decide to tell a secret, every bloody detail is revealed." Samuel's gaze turned curious. "How did you know?"

"I am a good Guard," was all he said. He gathered his coat. "Pay for my drinks. You owe me that, you bloody bastard."

Samuel groaned. "You are not going to the twins at this time of the night, are you?"

Ralph shook his head. "No. I am going somewhere else."

"You are going to leave me here to be slaughtered by the twins?" Samuel asked in mock horror.

"Are you going to tell them I know of their little secret?"

Samuel shrugged. "I have to. They will eventually know of my part in this."

"Then be prepared to be slaughtered," Ralph said, "before I slaughter them myself!"

"You would have to slaughter six of your siblings, Ralph," Samuel wryly uttered. "And their husbands and wives."

Ralph's jaw tightened. "Bloody tarnation, Samuel, your loyalty is misplaced."

His friend smiled at him. "No, my loyalty lies on my family and yours. All of you, Ralph, not just you."

"Ah, of course! I have almost forgotten your part in Ysabella and Wakefield's story." Ralph threw his coat at his friend who caught it and sat back down in his chair. "Buy me one last drink, you bastard."

"I thought you were leaving?"

"I am too bloody angry to ride back to Beechworth. I need to calm down." He turned to Wynne. "Distract me. Talk to me about bloody politics."

*****

Her breakfast was delivered to her bedchamber by the housekeeper herself who was quite pleased to see that the swelling had eased although not entirely.

"But we do hope we can spare you a pretty dress, Miss," said the lady as she set the tray on the table. She looked at Alex with a disapproving frown. "You are very beautiful but you look horrible in his lordship's clothes."

Alex looked down. She was wearing, as what they claimed, Ralph's old shirt and breeches. They were bigger, but they were comfortable. And they were the cleanest and newest she could ever remember amongst her shirts and breeches at home.

"If only you would allow us to offer one of our own?" the lady tried to ask again.

Alex was already shaking her head no. "I'm comf'table with these."

The housekeeper gave her a curious look. She knew the woman was curious as to who she was and why she did not speak like any of the ladies she had served before. But servants were almost always loyal to their masters. They would dare not satisfy their curiosities by making direct inquiries. They would do so by pressing their ears against doors or nonchalantly listen to conversations between their masters when they thought no one was listening. Perhaps not all of them, but Alex knew that most practiced it.

The door to her bedchamber flung open and Ralph strode in looking like he had not had any sleep. It took Alex one quick look at him to confirm that he had just arrived. And one lungful of air to affirm that he had been drinking.

"I thought ye were te take the prisoner to prison, guv, not drink with the man," she uttered before he could say a word.

He scowled at her. And then he paused as he took in her fresh look. "You are wearing my clothes." He turned to the maid. "Why is she wearing my clothes?"

The housekeeper tried to explain but Alex interjected by saying, "I dinna wanna wear yer mistress' dresses, guv."

He frowned. "There are no dresses—"

"Ah, then yer sisters must be mistaken. They think ye keep yer mistress here. Or was that in yer apartment in Wickhurst?" She grabbed a sandwich and threw it in her mouth.

Ralph walked up to her. "Bring more salve for her face," he ordered the maid.

"I'm fine, guv," Alex said, her mouth still full with food. "I dinneedit," she added.

"Bloody hell, woman, swallow your food," he ordered.

The housekeeper made a curtsy and exited the bedchamber.

Alex grabbed another sandwich and threw the entire thing in her mouth. As she munched, she realized Ralph was circling her, keenly studying every inch of her.

"Oi, dinna be rude when som'one's eatin'!"

"Do not move," he ordered as he walked to one side. "You are clean."

"Bleedin' hell I am," she said, swallowing her food. She snapped her head to the right to glare at him. "Yer bleedin' servants scrubbed me 'til me skin turned red last night!"

"I said, do not move," he reiterated. Alex scowled at him. He circled around her once again.

"Bloody hell," he groaned as his eyes widened in surprise. He was standing in awe, looking at the side of her face which was not swollen. He took a step back and studied her further, shaking his head. "Bloody hell! It is you! You are Lady in Blue!"