Three years ago...

"That man's been starin' at ye, Alex," Barto whispered beside her.

Alex's attention was drawn away from the lavish party. She turned to follow where her cousin's eyes were focused on and he found the same Everard brother looking at her from where he was standing at the other side of the ballroom.

Her heart began to skip as their eyes made contact.

"He's bleedin' comin'," said Ned.

Alex panicked. Yes, the man in question was indeed crossing the ballroom.

She turned and hastily grabbed Ned by the arm and hissed, "Where's Ysa?"

"There," Barto answered for his brother.

Alex craned her head and found the newlyweds standing at one corner of the large ballroom.

"He's comin', Alex," Barto warned again.

Alex walked away as fast as she could as she now had inkling as to who the Everard brother might be.

It must be the Guard one. He looked younger than the rest. It must be him.

She ought to escape. Fast!

*****

It did not take long for Peters and the Guards to unlock the doors with the help of the servants.

And it surely did not take them long to discover Ralph sitting on the floor with a curtain cord tied around him.

"Good Lord!" the footman uttered in horror. Ralph ignored him and focused on the butler who seemed almost ready to faint.

"Where is Nick?"

"S-still inside his study, I believe, my lord," the butler replied.

Ralph nodded. "Good. Do be certain to keep it that way." He snapped his head toward Peters who seemed stupefied, seeing him on the floor. "Untie me."

The Guard accompanying Peters moved forward and immediately worked on the cord, muttering in disbelief how the knot was too tight.

Once free, Ralph immediately jumped to his feet but swayed, still feeling the effect of the blow.

"What the bloody hell happened?" Peters demanded, looking around the parlor. "Do not bloody tell me—"

"I'm afraid whatever you are thinking is correct," Ralph murmured, unsteadily walking toward a chair.

"You let her bloody escape?" Peters demanded, following him.

"As you have noticed, Peters, I was bound."

"You—"

"And I suggest you climb your horses and chase after the minx!" he growled at Peters. "She should not be too far away."

The other Guard was already out the door.

One footman rushed into the parlor, panting and frantic. "One of the horses is missing!"

"Good Lord!" answered the footman beside the butler.

Ralph closed his eyes and groaned.

"She must have not gone too far," he said, addressing Peters.

When no answer came, he opened one eye and realized that Peters had already left. And that he was alone.

He jumped to his feet and went to the window. He peeked through the curtain and saw two horses running away from the estate.

Ralph let out a breath of relief and turned. The room was empty and he could hear the servants' panicked voices outside.

Walking out of the parlor, Ralph walked to Nicholas' study and leaned his ear against the door.

"Spyin' on someone, guv?" a voice whispered behind him and Ralph jumped to his feet.

He whirled around to find the bandit leaning against the opposite wall of the corridor, eyeing him with amusement. Then she winced when she had a good look at his face. "It'll disappear soon, I hope, eh?" she said with a chortle.

Ralph gritted his teeth and this time he caught her arm before she could escape.

"You boxed me," he hissed at her as he dragged her away from his brother's study and into a drawing room.

"And that got rid of those bleedin' Guards fast," she countered, twisting her arm from his grip.

He let go before she could do to him what she did to the other Guard earlier.

Locking the door, he glared at the woman. "Tell me your name."

For a short second he saw her face freeze and she looked at him as though she was remembering something. But that soon disappeared as fast as it came. She squared her shoulders and said, "Me name's Alex, guv."

Ralph narrowed his eyes. "Your full name, bandit."

He was getting impatient. His leg was starting to hurt again and he needed to go back home to Beechworth where more work was waiting for him.

The bandit sighed. "I dinna know ye work fer the Registry, guv."

"Do not test my patience, bandit," he uttered, moving forward to loom over her. "I have allowed you to tie me down—"

Before he could finish his statement, she was already shaking her head. "Nae, guv, ye were tied down while ye were searchin' fer the rest of yer scattered wits," she said with a condescending smile. "And dinna tell me ye allowed me te point a dagger at ye fer ye—"

"You mean this dagger?" Ralph asked with a smile, lifting the dagger in her face.

He saw her eyes widen with surprise. When she tried to grab for the dagger, he stepped back and said, "Do not think you are the only wise one here, bandit. And do not think you are the only fast hand here as well." He played with the dagger and said, "Now, your name."

Her beautiful grey eyes were glinted with fury as she cocked her brow to say, "Alex Griggs."

"Your full name," he repeated with finality.

She sighed. "Alexandria Griggs."

Ralph was quite surprised she had a good name that suited her beautiful—

He dared not finish the thought. His leg was starting to bother. He did not wish to have a witness should it prove to worsen, thus he ought to make this fast.

"You are a bandit."

Alex rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "We've already established that, aye, guv? Now, where's yer brother?"

"He is not in residence."

"Liar," she accused, narrowing her eyes.

He shook his head. "I am not."

"Yes, ye are. Yer sisters told me stories 'bout ye, guv. Ye lie." Whether or not it was true that she was familiar with his sisters, something told Ralph that her statement was supported by something else entirely. Something in him was trying to remember something the longer he looked at this woman. And something told him it would not be long before he figured what it was.

Reminding himself of the most important subject at hand, Ralph gave Alex an assessing look. "Tell me more about the woman."

"What woman?" Alex inquired, feigning indifference.

"The woman you found in the forest." When she did not offer a reply, he grew impatient. "Which forest?"

"I was asked te find Nicholas Everard, guv. Are ye Nicholas Everard?"

His jaw tightened. "Do not make me haul you over my shoulder and deposit you into a bloody prison cell, bandit."

"Nae, ye can't—"

Ralph did not allow her to finish. Throwing the dagger across the room, he suddenly made his attack by taking one long step forward, grabbing her hand and pulling her toward him. And as she neared, he twirled her around by her right arm and grabbed her left to hold both behind her back.

She did try to jump and unbalance him, but Ralph was in no position to allow himself be overpowered by a woman again. And his leg was hurting which merely made him even angrier.

Holding both her hands with one hand, Ralph pulled at the collar of her coat to bring it down her arms, using the entire thing to restrain her.

"Let me go!" she shouted but Ralph whirled her around to face him, her arms bound behind her and his hands on her shoulders to keep her at arm's length. She tried to jump and bang her head against his but merely reached his chin.

Ralph shouted in pain and frustration but maintained his firm grip. Bloody hell, she was literally hard-headed.

"Tell me what I need to know and you will be free," he uttered despite the vibrating pain along his jaw. "A Guard's promise, bandit."

Grey eyes glinted with fury at him. Of course she did not believe him.

"You can shout all you want but no one shall come to save you." When she narrowed her eyes at him, Ralph smiled. "And I do not believe you have bandit friends waiting for you somewhere, yes?"

"I dinna come here to be tied like this, guv," she growled. "I came here 'cos of a woman's dyin' wish!"

Ralph stiffened. "What dying wish? She—"

"She died," Alex gritted through her teeth. "In me arms, guv."

Suddenly he felt he needed to learn more. He needed to be assured. He needed proof.

"What did this woman look like?"

"I told ye, she asked fer me te find yer brother—"

"Nick is currently incapable of anything but breathing!" he hissed at her, his face merely inches away from her. His hands tightened around her shoulders and he gave her a shake. "Tell me now, bandit, or I swear you shall be living the rest of your—"

"Fine! Fine!" she growled, struggling to step away from him but he would not allow it. He had had a taste of what this woman could do. He would not be foolish to allow her enough space to move. "Nae need to breathe on me!"

He moved his head back a few inches and waited as she took her time to pretend to be breathing fresh air. When she finally let out a long exhale, she said, "Red hair, blue eyes, fair skin... I dinna get her name fer she was barely alive when I found her."

Ralph went cold. He felt a shiver run up his spine.

He could merely think of one person who fitted the description.

Aurora Randolph.

His mind refused to acknowledge it. Aurora had been taken away from the protection of the League and they had all suspected it was Osegod who was responsible. But to know that she did not survive was more than what Ralph could accept.

It would ruin someone should it be proven to be true. It would ruin the person responsible for handing Aurora to the League to be used against Osegod.

"Where did you find her?" he heard himself ask in earnest.

"The Dark Forest." The bandit twisted one shoulder with a wince. "She asked me te find yer brother."

"Why Nicholas?"

The bandit stared at him dryly. "Oi, didn't I tell ye she was barely alive? She dinna have the time te tell me her life story, guv! How the bleedin' hell would I know why she wanted yer brother!"

"What else did she say?"

He saw Alex's face turn grim and then her lips pursed as she remembered something. "She... she asked me te find yer brother and save the other woman."

Ralph's eyes widened, his mind reeling desperately. He finally let the bandit go.

"And her babe," Alex added, stepping out of his reach. "A babe's in danger, see? Somewhere out there a babe's life's in danger, guv."

Ralph blanched. He felt blood drain down his face as the truth finally seeped in.

Aurora had a child by Osegod. That child was the very reason why she had been a target in the first place. The League had taken the child along with Aurora.

And now, know that the child was somewhere unprotected without her mother was unimaginable.

He drew in a shaky breath as raked his fingers through his hair. Bloody tarnation. How had all of this happened?

And suddenly he felt he needed to be away from Whiston. Nicholas could not discover the bandit here.

He approached her and said, "You are going to tell me every detail."

"I already told ye—"

He shook his head as he reached for her again. "No, I want every bloody detail, bandit. Everything."

"What the bleendin' hell are ye doin'?" she demanded as he turned her around and began to tighten her restraint. She tried to run away but he caught her, pulling her back toward him. She growled over her shoulder. "You promised te—"

"A Guard's promise is only good for the innocents, I am afraid," he said with a grin meant to taunt her. He pulled at the restraint. "Now, you go with me without a fight and we can begin to negotiate."

She tried to kick him through the back but he stepped to the side. He turned her around to face the door.

"Ye wait until yer sisters know of this!" she hissed as he shoved her forward like he would a prisoner.

"My sisters do not dare defy me—"

Her mocking laugh made Ralph pause and reconsider his sisters' relationship with the bandit. The way she laughed was uniform to Ysabella and Emma laughing at him during one of their bickering episodes. No, surely his sisters had better sense than to be friends with a bandit!

"Ye dinna have to lie to me, guv. I know what yer sisters are capable of."

His jaw tightened. "Start walking," he ordered.

She did and they both walked out into the corridor. "Where are ye takin' me?"

"Somewhere worse than prison. My Beechworth estate." When she stiffened, he smiled. "Trust me, you will like it. A Guard's promise." When she refused to move when he gave her a push, Ralph leaned closer and whispered a warning in her ear, "Do not think I trust you just because you gave me information I am currently interested in. The interrogation is far from over, bandit. And do not attempt to run for you can merely go so far. Even your horse has abandoned you." He felt her shake with fury, but he sensed it was caused by the fact that she was rendered powerless. "Now, move along, bandit."