Three years ago...

Ralph's brows rose with both surprise and suspicion when Lady in Blue slowly turned and started walking. She walked in a slow pace, one that told him he ought to follow.

Since he was still blocking the path, she went to a stone bench where she gracefully settled.

He looked over his shoulder and calculated the distance from the bench and the pathway. Surely she would not be fast enough to escape?

Coming down to a fast decision, Ralph turned and followed her to the bench but did not take a seat. Instead he stood before her with a curious smile.

"Now, since you do not wish to tell me your name, I hope you could provide me with an answer to another question."

Lady in Blue simply shrugged.

"Where did you meet my sisters?" he asked. "They have been to countless balls in Wickhurst but I have not seen you in any of them. And I would have surely heard of you from the other men in attendance to any of the balls, should you have been present." Hanging his head to the side while looking at her amused expression, Ralph concluded, "Thus they did not make your acquaintance here." She nodded. Ah, finally they were getting somewhere. "The Theobalds, perhaps?" He shook his head before she could. "No, impossible. I would have known of it." He took a step closer. "Where?"

Her dark grey eyes twinkled in the darkness. "Blucksley."

*****

The silence between Emma and Ysabella had been lasting for quite some time. Both women were very much fretful over Nicholas' disappearance. Their brother had never been the same since Sophia was abducted and they both feared, although they never voiced it out loud, that the Nicholas they knew might never come back.

And other things seemed to be evolving outside their knowledge. It was a great surprise to find Alex in Ralph's residence. Their brother and Alex did not relay much information, only that Alex was being targeted and that he was protecting her.

"I am quite certain she is not his mistress," Emma said, breaking the silence.

"As am I," Ysabella agreed. "It is very unlikely that something could sprout between them. For goodness' sake, he is a Guard."

"And she a bandit," Emma said, nodding her head. "She would have his head in a snap of a finger."

Ysabella reached for her cup of tea. Before she took a sip, she murmured to Emma, "You are frowning, sister. What is on your mind?"

Emma shifted in her seat. "Something is going on that we are not privy to, Ysa."

Ysabella set down her cup and straightened in her chair. "Well, I am not as proficient as you are in developing conspiracy theories and harvesting clues, Em, but I do admit that I have been quite curious myself." She looked around the parlor to check for any signs of their mother anywhere within earshot before she leaned over and whispered, "The brothers have been keeping in contact too frequently and with earnest. And I believe Maggie is aware of everything."

Emma sighed and groaned. "Ah, how I miss the days when I was merely building up theories about Mr. Jones!"

Ysabella nodded. "And I miss the days when we were the only problems of everyone else."

They both chuckled, reminiscing memories of their younger days.

"By the by," Ysabella said, a new profound glitter of wickedness in her eyes, "What do you say to a match between a Guard and a bandit?"

"Unlikely," said Emma before her lips curved into an equal wicked smile as her sister's, "but then, no one has ever won against our great talent, yes?"

"Agreed." Ysabella reached for her tea again. "We do not make matches."

"We find them," Emma finished.

"And I believe we found a potential pair today."

Emma leaned forward to pick Mrs. Beagle from the floor. "Yes, I believe we did and once all of this is over, we shall have a grand and marvelous time with those two."

*****

"What are you doing, bandit?" Ralph asked when he found Alex in the drawing room.

She whirled around with a piece of trinket in her hand.

"Are you stealing?"

She held up the object, a small egg-shaped trinket basket with peridot stones lined along the rims. "Perhaps. This one's particularly beautiful, guv. I can't help meself."

Ralph stalked across the room and snatched the item from her hand and replaced it on the cabinet. He frowned at her. "You led me to believe you do not steal from the Everards."

"Yer devoid of the privilege, guv," she said with a shrug.

Her dark bushy hair was free and made a beautiful mess around her face and behind her shoulders. She was wearing her freshly washed bedraggled shirt and trousers again and Ralph thought he ought to find her another dress if he wanted to keep her from the Guards and the other men who were after her.

He was not the only one who was assessing for Alex was doing the same, looking at him from top to bottom. "Yer goin' out again?"

"Yes."

"Where?"

"My brothers finally found Nick."

The relief on her face was genuine. "Then he is safe!"

"I believe so," he said with a nod. "Max is not one who offers a ton of information even on a bloody note. I would have to see for myself."

"I'll stay here again, eh?" she asked, looking around the room.

"After what I caught you doing just moments ago, I am reconsidering that option."

She rolled her eyes. "I'll spend the day with Siege. Me horse needs a good cleanin'."

"I have servants to do that. You stay inside the apartment."

She waved her hand to dismiss him. "Off ye go, guv."

"I have to go to the Town Guard headquarters to provide another statement to another High Officer. I cannot leave Wickhurst unless that is done. I would have to gain permission to leave Wickhurst to get to my brother and also to find Jeremy Briars the very moment my brother-in-law has details of his whereabouts."

"I dinna ask how you'll be spendin' yer day, guv. Ye can go wherever ye want without tellin' me."

Ralph opened his mouth to argue but decided against it. Yes, why would he tell her how he would be spending his day?

As he turned around to leave, Alex said, "But ye be careful, guv. I dinna want to wait forever for no one."

Ralph scoffed with the intent to finish the day with more productive results. He was not worried about getting permission to leave Wickhurst for he personally knew the High Officer who shall be doing the deliberation today. He was worried someone could enter his estate while he was gone.

Perhaps it would be best to take Alex with him to the village of Puck later in the day.

*****

Ralph had an enormous collection of trinkets he obviously collected in his travels. Alex wasted her time looking at each of them, always finding herself going back to the egg-shaped trinket basket that caught her eye that morning.

"Ah, bleedin' hell," she uttered, pocketing the trinket. "Just this once."

Before guilt could strike her, Alex turned away from the table, quite triumphant that finally—finally—she stole something from an Everard.

Now, what else was she to do?

She would probably have to wait for Ralph until the wee hours. She was not aware where Nicholas was found or how long it would take him to get there and back in Wickhurst.

For a moment she wondered if she could acquire Ysabella and Emma's help in contacting their brother-in-law, Cole, to inquire on his progress in finding the caveman. But she hastily brushed the idea from her mind as she realized that it would be best that the sisters be left alone.

Merely two hours later after Ralph had left, Alex was walking down the corridor to find the stables where she could spend the day with Siege.

But to her utter horror, a small commotion suddenly erupted when a young woman forced herself into the hallway despite the butler's insistence that his master was not in residence.

It was then that she saw Alex who realized too late that she ought to have fled away.

The woman had perfectly donned black hair, her face radiant although surprised. The pale yellow gown made Alex's blue gown a rag should she have been wearing it. All in all, the woman was far above Alex's station and obviously someone who knew Ralph too well.

The woman skidded to a stop, alarmed, when she saw Alex. "Who are you?" her voice demanded. The butler looked like he would rather be somewhere else at that very moment. So did Alex.

The mistress.

From behind the butler, Alex saw one of the footmen rush out the door. She did not have to guess where the man was going for she knew where and she approved of it. It would be best to drag the master back to his home before his mistress could murder another woman—or be murdered by that woman.

"Who are ye?" Alex retorted, squaring her shoulders.

The woman let out an exaggerated gasp as she turned to steal a glance at the distraught butler, her mouth gaping in disbelief. When she returned her gaze at Alex, they were nowhere near kind. She looked Alex up and down as if she was trying to figure out whether or not she was facing a toad or a sheep.

"His lordship's not 'ere, Miss."

Another exaggerated gasp. The lady's hand went to her chest as she said, "Miss? Miss!" Letting out a dry chuckle, she said, "I am a gentry, woman. Lady Claire Forsythe, in fact, daughter of the Lord of Langworthy." Her brow arched higher as she continued to glare at Alex. "Now, who might you be?"

"The woman who robbed yer 'Ma and 'Pa," Alex muttered under her breath, remembering how Lord Langworthy shook with fear as he threw his gold coins at Alex and her cousins many years ago.

"What?"

"Nae, never mind," she said with a wave of her hand. "I'm no one."

"What are you doing in Lord Beechworth's estate?" Lady Claire insisted. She turned to the butler. "Who is this woman?"

Before the butler could offer any reply, Alex sighed and said, "Just another poor girl saved by his lordship, milady." She forced a smile on her face.

"Saved? From where? Whom?"

Alex realized she ought not to have said that.

"Ye would'na wanna know, see?" She started to walk and the woman immediately jumped away as if afraid to even breathe the same air as Alex. "And I'm leavin'."

The butler's eyes widened with alarm. Everyone in the household knew Alex was not supposed to walk out the doors. But what was there to do? Surely there was no other way to appease this woman!

Lady Claire continued to look at her with suspicion as Alex walked past her. As she neared the door, Alex heard the woman hiss to the butler, "What are you standing there about? Go and search her! She could have stolen something from his lordship, you fool!"

Alex rolled her eyes and dashed to the door before the butler could even decide what to do.

With wary steps, Alex stepped out of the estate, entirely unsure where to go and hide and waste her bloody time.

*****

Ralph rushed straight to his apartment after his footman informed him of Claire's presence and the unfortunate fact that his mistress found Alex there.

But by the time he arrived, Claire was in his study, reading a book as though nothing had happened. He looked around and found the butler standing nearby, looking flustered.

When he saw Ralph walk in, the butler immediately rushed forward, probably to inform him about what happened, but Claire had already seen him. She jumped to her feet with an excited, big smile on her face.

She rushed over to Ralph and planted her hands flat on his chest. She rose to her toes and kissed his mouth.

When he seemed unresponsive, she stepped back with a frown but immediately covered it with a look of sudden alarm. "I know you must be very surprised to see me here, my love, but you ought to know of a very odd incident which happened earlier. I came in and found a woman dressed in rags in the middle of your hallway! She claimed to be someone you saved but before I could question her further, she walked out—escaped! Now, I do have confidence in your staff that they would not have permitted someone like that wander around the estate without your knowledge, but I hope to hear the truth from you nonetheless." Ralph was no longer listening. His head had snapped toward the butler in silent question which the man answered with a single nod. "Was she telling the truth? Did you truly save her and took her here?"

His jaw clenched and his entire body tight with alarm, Ralph nodded. "Yes." With a sharp turn, Ralph started for the door.

"B-but where are you going? Ralph?" Claire called after him. "I cannot give you very much time as Mother will soon be looking for me. Ralph! Where are—"

"Go home, Claire," Ralph said over his shoulder.

"But—"

"I said, go home," he coldly uttered.

The footman was already waiting for him at the doorway, ready with information.

"She walked that way, milord," the man hastily whispered to Ralph, pointing to the right. "Toward Vinge Street, milord. I did try to follow her but—"

Ralph did not wait for the rest of the footman's words and jumped into his carriage.

*****

Alex stood outside a shop, quite lost alongside a bustling street.

"Oi, walk away! We don't give alms!" the shop owner shouted at her.

Alex sighed and walked on and wondered if the mistress was still in residence. Could she return now?

Or perhaps she could go to the Everard estate and ask for Emma's help. But she did not know how to get there. She did try to ask around but no one was eager to help her. One man even laughed and asked, "You would not even pass as a scullery maid in that estate, lady!"

A uniformed Town Guard walked past Alex and she froze. The man did not spare her a glance but she felt that he did and he would drag her back to prison.

She made a sharp turn and decided to return to Ralph's apartment whether or not the mistress was there. She could deal with the woman. Yes, of course she could!

She easily found her way back to the familiar street that would lead her down to where Ralph's apartment was located. As she prepared to cross the street, someone grabbed her by the arm and whirled her around.

Her sudden instinct to fight and attack quickly dispersed when she realized she was looking up at Ralph Everard himself.

Letting out a sigh, she allowed the relief to rush backs. And then frustration and fear flickered backs to life. "Bleedin' hell, guv, ye made me wait fer long!" She pushed him away and walked straight to where his carriage was waiting. Without a word, she climbed inside and crossed her leg over the other and her arms over her chest.

When Ralph followed her inside, he was also glaring at her. The carriage started at move at once.

"Why did you bloody leave the estate?" he demanded the same time she growled, "Is yer mistress gone now?"

"Yes," he replied the same time she said, "'Cos of yer bloody mistress, what else!"

They both groaned with frustration and a short silence fell between them as they both tried to calm themselves.

"You could have been captured by the men looking for you," he said, his voice calm.

"And ye could've warned me of any chance a bleedin' mistress could appear at yer estate," she murmured in return, mirroring his calm demeanor.

Ralph rubbed his face with his hands and muffled a groan. When he looked at her again, his emerald green eyes were penetrating. "Bloody hell, Alex, you scared me to death," he said.

"Then I hope I'm talkin' to a bleedin' ghost," she said, sparing him a look. "Is death by fear painful?"

His eyes narrowed and he pointed at her with his finger, very much the same way her father did whenever he found her doing something he objected to. "Your sarcasm is most often misplaced."

"That's what me 'Pa always say, guv, only with an accent, see?"

"Do not take this lightly, Alex. I am utterly serious. It was not the wisest act from you."

"Aye, I agree," she said with a nod of her head. "I ought te have told yer mistress I'm yer fifth mistress." She scoffed at the thought. "And she's the tenth."

She saw his lips twitch, a sign of a smile, before he hid it, his face turning serious once more.

He sighed and leaned back against his seat. He studied her and after a short while asked, "Are you fine? Did someone—"

"I'm fine," she retorted, tearing her gaze away from his intense one to look out the window. "Are we leavin' Wickhurst?"

"Yes."

She frowned and looked back at him. "Yer takin' me with ye to yer brother?"

"Family," he corrected.

"Family?"

Ralph nodded. "Almost everyone is currently with Nick in the village of Puck, guarding him against himself. We are to join them there."

"But, guv, I'd rather be with yer mistress."

Ralph scoffed. "Mistress Number Ten would not last a minute around you, Mistress Number Five, trust me. I am taking you with me to save the poor woman."

Alex ignored his jest.

She swallowed hard.

Bloody hell, she was joining the Everards!