Byron did not care that people was starting to question Ellie's true identity.

He would still appear in operas and balls with her by his side.

He did not know how long she would be his.

Soon, for certain, they would be enemies.

-Above and Below

*****

Ysabella simply stared at Emma for quite a long time. All the while, Emma was holding her breath in fear that her sister would ask for a name. She could not lie to her sister.

"I will not ask for his name, Em, so fret not." Ysabella slowly pushed herself from the bed to sit. "I am not going to force you to name him, but know that I will support your decision. I will stand by you, Emma Grace Everard—no matter what happens. No matter how everyone will judge you, I will stand by you."

Emma's tears came falling and as her shoulders began to shake, she saw her sister's blurry form rush toward her and suddenly she was enveloped in an embrace.

"Hush now, darling," Ysabella murmured at the crown of her head. "You will talk to Samuel, yes? He deserves to know once and for all."

Emma nodded, not able to talk.

It would hurt her to hurt Samuel.

"Oh, Ysa, I am going to end up unwed all my life after all," she said as she wiped her tears moments later.

"How can you say that?" Ysabella asked, tucking Emma's hair behind her ears. "Is this man that impossible?"

Emma shook her head. "No, not impossible. I know for certain I can be with him, but he is unreachable. He makes certain of it."

Ysabella narrowed her eyes. "Everyone else thought Wakefield was unreachable for me, Emma. And look where he is now—putting our baby to sleep! Nothing is unreachable if you claim it, dear."

Emma sighed as she tenderly looked at her sister. "I adore your courage, Ysa. I wish I can have it."

Ysabella winked. "Resolve is stronger, Em. And you have that more than I."

Emma held her sister's hand. "I love you, Ysa."

"And I love you, too, Em. Now, I believe I will sleep here tonight after all."

Emma chuckled, wiping the last of her tears. "Like old times?"

Ysabella's emerald eyes were swimming in unshed tears as well. "Like old times."

*****

Samuel quietly walked out of the gaming room and aimlessly began to wander around the very place he grew up in.

If it had not been for his half-sister, Maxine, he would not have discovered the hidden passageways of the Theobald mansion. They spent their childhood hiding in the most unlikely places, eavesdropping and playing spy. They had always both assumed they were invisible to everyone and it was not impossible to be when it came to Theobald.

The place was too large, too complicated with its hidden corridors and doors. It was easy to get lost.

Even until now, he could very well find himself in an unfamiliar place.

Or perhaps it was the fact that Theobald had always seemed to be unfamiliar to him. Ever since he found his passion for writing, this place had become naught but a force that pulled him back from what he truly wanted. His parents did try their best to keep him engaged in the family business. They failed, of course.

Many might consider Maxine as the bastard and the living failure of their father, but in all honesty, it was him.

Samuel walked past the doors of the grand ballroom and down the corridor that led to a library which once belonged to his grandfather. Samuel hated and loved that room all the same.

His grandfather was not a very good man. The very memory of the man still sent shivers down his spine. But the place was filled with books that opened Samuel's eyes to not fantasy, but reality. His grandfather never liked fiction and his collection was filled with everything but.

But before he reached the place, he saw someone in a very familiar red gown slip through the same doors he intended to enter.

Praising his luck, Samuel followed and surprised Stella Marie who was already in the middle of the room.

"Are you here to read books, or are you here to hide?" he asked.

"Why would you think that someone such as I would bother to read at a time like this?" she asked, looking around the dark room, her initial surprise completely gone.

"Then you are here to hide."

Stella Marie stopped what she was doing and looked at Samuel from across the room. "Yes, of course."

"I hope that it is not from me."

"No, of course not," she said, shaking her head. Walking to the settee, Stella added, "I am hiding from my fiancé. He just arrived to join the party."

The statement totally took Samuel aback. He blinked his eyes in disbelief. "I was not aware you had one."

"Why would you have to know?"

"Well, someone as famous as you..." he let his voice trail away as he walked to the liquor cabinet. "Would you like a drink?"

"Brandy, please."

"We have sherry."

"Brandy, my lord," she reiterated.

Samuel shrugged and opened the brandy. "Why would you be hiding from your fiancé?"

Looking at him with unwavering eyes, Stella lifted one shoulder. "I do not wish to marry him."

He scoffed and walked over to give her glass of brandy. "And what is the name of this fiancé? I might encounter him later this evening."

"Alexander Adelard."

"The Adelards from Willowfair are prominent figures. Why would you not want to marry into them?"

"Your reasons for marriage and mine vary, my lord," was her fast reply before she took a sip from her glass.

"There you are again with your judgments."

"And there you are again with your defensive tactics."

"I am not being defensive as I do have good reasons to want to marry Emma."

She scoffed. "Because you love her?"

"Yes, of course," he said matter-of-factly. The surprise in her eyes was evident by the glass half-frozen to her lips. "I have been in love with her for years."

"Truly?" she asked, tone filled with skepticism.

"Is it that impossible to believe?"

"Well, yes."

He frowned. "And why is that?"

"Well, because you are not with her at the moment."

"She has already retired."

"And you were not with her after the game."

"I had matters to attend to."

"And during the game."

"I—" Samuel stopped himself, almost biting his tongue. "The pairing was done in random."

Stella Marie slapped her forehead in mocking fashion. "Ah, yes, of course, it was."

Samuel sighed and rolled his eyes. "You can keep hiding here, Miss Stella. I shall excuse myself." He walked toward the door.

"To be with Emma?" she taunted further.

"To be away from you, actually."

He heard her laughter before he left the room.

*****

By the morrow, Wynne was no longer in Theobald grounds.

Stella Marie might have gone with him, but no one was certain. She was hiding from someone, after all, and she could be in one of the cupboards in the manor.

Since Wynne was absent, Samuel looked for other means to dig deeper. There could be other Trilbys hiding somewhere in this party. He simply had to find them.

Stella provided him that opportunity. There was someone else who might be more willing to talk.

He immediately saw the man wandering around the breakfast room.

"Looking for someone, Mr. Adelard?"

The man stopped, looking almost irked. Samuel studied the person before him. He was not bad to the eyes. In fact, the man was handsome enough and he came from an affluent family.

"I do not have time, sorry," the man murmured, walking around Samuel. Something in the way Adelard looked at him snapped something inside Samuel and suddenly, acting pleasant was out the window.

Samuel blocked Alexander's path with a smile. "She is gone." At first, the man was confused. And then understanding crossed his eyes, followed by anger. "And if I were you, I would not follow her," Samuel added.

Alexander Adelard scoffed incredulously, placing his hands on his hips to glare at Samuel. "And who are you to intrude in private matters of others? Did that chit manage to beguile you enough to commit this embarrassing act for her protection? Is her friend's unwavering help not enough?" And before Samuel could utter a sound, he added, "Or perhaps the men in Wickhurst simply hold whores precious. After all, they come in different forms, say... an actress."

Samuel scoffed, staring the man in the eyes. "Then the men in Willowfair must be too incompetent that even your so-called whore runs away from you."

Adelard's jaw tightened, but the man's self-control was astounding. "Step out of my way."

"If you promise not to go after her or bother here within this estate, I will."

"Why do you believe I would even take orders from you?"

"Because the moment that you do follow her wherever she may be, a dozen more men will be at your tail," Samuel replied. "Be wary, sir, before you take any action. Be more wary if you do so on Theobald grounds."

Adelard scoffed in disbelief. "And who are you to—"

"Ah, yes, of course," Samuel said, giving the man a slight bow. "Lord Buford. Happy to make your acquaintance."

Adelard blanched. "You are a Theobald."

Samuel shrugged and looked around the breakfast room. "Yes, this is my family's party." His eyes returned to Adelard. "And contrary to what you implied, Miss Stella Marie is a dear friend of mine. I believe, as well, that she is no whore to anyone but the theatre."

With nothing else to say, Samuel turned around and left.

Alexander Adelard was not a good lead after all. The man was naught but a bloody bastard.

He needed a drink. And he needed news from Wickhurst.

*****

Emma squared her shoulders as she heard footsteps outside her room.

When the door opened and closed, she turned to find Samuel who said, "Did you call for me? I have bad news," he said both sentences in one breath and only then did Emma realize he looked angry.

"What is the matter?" she asked. Whatever she had to say would have to wait for a while. He was not in a state to hear reason.

"Are you aware that the bastard has returned to Wickhurst?"

She nodded. "I believe it was to interview a new actor."

"Well, we cannot certainly believe that."

"Why?"

"Because he is a lying bastard." Samuel was starting to pace around the room.

"Sam, what is it?"

"There was nothing there."

"Nothing where?"

"His estate!" He whirled around to face her. "My men were not able to find one bloody thing."

"Surely there are other ways, Sam. You need not be furious over—"

"There is no other way, Emma! Because the bastard and his family are good with what they do!" He brushed his fingers through his hair. "I have tried everything. Even Stella Marie is too bloody cunning to spill out anything."

Emma frowned. "Stella Marie? How long have you been in contact with her?"

"Not long. She is as smart as Wynne. And she is too bloody loyal."

"Well, of course, she is. And if she were not, she would not tell you anything, Sam. Your very articles try to ruin her career."

"Even her fiancé is of no use, that good-for-nothing arse."

"You know about Sandre?"

Samuel moistened his lips. "I have to go back to Wickhurst. Wynne is up to something." He looked at Emma. "Em, we have to go back."

Emma frowned, taking a step back. "No, Sam. We have to tell Maggie."

He shook his head. "Now is not the time—"

"I believe it is. We have exhausted our resources as well as ourselves, Samuel—for nothing."

"No, Em, you do not understand—"

"No, Sam, I do. You're bloody obsessed!"

He froze. "What did you say?"

"This obsession with the Trilbys is undeniably eating you and you barely recognize it. And I will not allow you to go on further blindly. We have to tell Maggie."

"Emma, this matter is too sensitive—"

"Sam, you cannot do everything. Words—your articles—cannot solve everything. We need people who will know what to do." Emma's voice was starting to shake. "Not every bloody townspeople ought to know everything, Samuel. Not all great tactics are fought in public."

"I disagree. Everyone deserves to know—"

"We do not have proof at all that the Trilbys are planning something against anyone apart from their political ambitions because they do not allow us to know anything. Do you know why? Because they know that they are being watched. If anyone could find proof, it is the League, Sam. And the Guards. You are not both. So, please, let us tell Maggie before things get worse. If they are planning something, Sam, it is either they are too cunning for the two of us or that they are innocent after all."

Her tears fell when she saw the determination on his face become even stronger. "We do not have to find proof, Em. We simply need to push them to make new ones for us to collect."

Emma frowned. "Whatever do you mean?"

"We have something that will threaten Noah Trilby. And a threatened one always makes the first mistake."

"What is it? What do you have against Noah Trilby?"

"Em! Surely you know. Not what," he said, coming toward her. "Who."

Emma instantly froze. A shiver ran down her spine and she felt the blood drain from her head. She did not even realize that she lifted her fist in the air, striking Samuel with brutal force.

Samuel stumbled back, fury in his eyes as his hand went to his cheek where she punched him. Disbelief followed suit.

Emma stepped toward him, pushing him with one hand, and with shaking voice said, "You would not dare touch my niece. You do not go near her. You do not utter her name at all!"

"Em—"

"No!" Emma said, pointing a finger at Samuel's face. "The moment you mention anything about Fiona in one of your articles—even hint of her existence—I will personally knock on your door and skin you alive."

"That is not what I meant. I would never allow any harm to come upon Fiona. Or anyone. There are ways to—"

"There are no ways, Samuel. There is simply you betraying us if you ever do anything that would expose that child." Emma took a deep breath and stepped away from Samuel. "I called for you here because I wished to tell you of my decision."

Confusion crossed his eyes. And when he realized he came to see her because she called for him, fear and apprehension instantly covered Samuel's face.

"There will be no wedding, Samuel," Emma said as another tear dropped from her eye. "I do not wish to marry you."