"I can help you be free from this place," he said in earnest, gathering her hands in his. She blinked and whether she was aware of it or not, she was staring up right at him.

Nicholas felt a pang inside his chest, a slight kind of pain. She was staring straight at him and she was not even aware that he knew it, that he was seeing her. Worse, she was not aware that she was looking straight at him and Nicholas wanted her to see him not for vanity but because he simply desired to share something. He wanted to find more of her secrets through her eyes, to catch the hidden things she was trying to hide.

While Nicholas held his breath in anticipation, Sophia's lips began to curl into a smile until a chuckle escaped her, causing Nicholas to frown. "My lord, you must realize that you have spoken an impossible thing."

He shook his head. "No. I want to take you away from this dratted place."

Her laughter died down until only a small hint of a bitter smile remained on her lips. "And how many women in Rock'oles have you made this offer to?"

"None."

Her brows arched. "None." Pulling her hand free from his grasp, Sophia tilted her head to the side. "And why would you want to take me away from this place?"

"Because I know this is not where you are meant to be."

"My lord, someone like me does not belong anywhere."

"Everyone has a place, Sophie. Rock'oles is not it for you."

Her lips twitched. "And what do you intend to do to me should I allow you to take me from here?"

The question left him stunned. Yes, what did he intend to do to her if she ever left with him?"

"Would you keep me in a dungeon for you to visit if you find the need to?"

"I don't have a dungeon, good God!"

"Then perhaps you will find good use of me by employing me as your scullery maid? I assure you, I can thoroughly do chores despite my lack of certain faculties. My uncle who raised me made sure that I did."

"No, of course not."

Nicholas vowed to someday find this uncle and make the bastard pay.

Amusement filled her face now. Her eyes glimmered with it and Nicholas found himself drawn to them. "Then you plan to turn me into your mistress?"

No word escaped him. Yes, she could be his mistress. Mistresses were born because men needed them, but they created themselves for one sole reason: protection. Women in the Town had far less power. They were seen as things to be owned and protected by the men—their fathers, brothers, husbands and lovers. There might be few who were lucky enough to have both money and protection, but to most of them they had to thrive to gain it even if they had to lose their virtues.

But to think of Sophia as his mistress was not simply far-fetched, but it was also simply not done. A colored woman living in an estate with white servants to attend to her and drive her carriage was not just done!

Before he could even make himself begin to believe of the possibility, Nicholas was drawn back to the present by Sophia's voice as she continued her questions. "Situate me in an expensive estate and dress me in ball gowns? You must be insane if you even start to imagine it."

She was taunting him. She was mocking him.

"I am utterly serious, Sophie," he said, leaning closer. "We can find a way for you to live—a place for you other than Rock'oles. You are in grave danger by being here and you know it."

She stiffened and her expression turned blank.

"Durley is using you."

"Lord Durley does not use me against my will, my lord."

"He is and you know it! I believe you not to be daft to not realize it."

"Merely after a few visits and you have concluded that I have an amazing mental faculty. Then perhaps you are the daft one, my lord."

His jaw clenched. She was not taking this seriously.

"He is the one who rescued you from the brothel." The smile on her face froze. "You believe him to be your savior and he has led you to do things for him in return for his heroic deeds. He is manipulating you for his own advantage."

His statement finally got to her as evidenced by the clenching of her jaw.

"Sophie, do you even realize what Durley is doing? The extent of it?"

She blinked but refused to answer.

"Sophie—"

"He told me you have other motives," she surprised him by saying, her voice cold.

Bloody hell.

"And it seems that he is correct." The smile on her face was now gone. "You are here for a different reason."

"I am here for two reasons: one, of course, is to be with you in that bed and the other is to help put an end to the slave trade." When she turned her face away, he reached for her hand again, squeezing it as he said, "Sophie, Durley is doing transactions with—"

"Many men," she finished for him. Her blank gaze was directed at nowhere. "And of course, you are aware of them."

"Not all."

She smiled. "Which is why you are here. You wish to know more about their transactions. You believe I can tell you or perhaps you were hoping you can also manipulate me into helping you."

He clenched his jaw and sighed.

Ralph would kill him. He knew his brother would! What would a Town Guard do at a situation such as this?

Bloody hell be damned because Nicholas was utterly at a loss on how to proceed! His training was seduction, not this! The only mission he had been very good at was to bed even the most reluctant woman, not manipulate a beautiful, colored, blind woman living in Rock'oles!

"You could have continued to woo me and use me to your advantage without my knowledge," she said, breaking the silence, turning her head to face him again. Her eyes stared blankly at his cravat. "Why? Why did you so foolishly tell me the truth?"

Because he is a fool, Nicholas swore he heard Ralph's voice answer in his head.

"Because I know you are no fool," he said. He stood up to put some distance between them for her nearness was not helping him think. "You allowed me entry because Durley ordered you to."

Her lips pursed and Nicholas knew he was correct. He drew a breath to calm himself, believing he was tackling the right path. His mind began to work.

"I am not as completely foolish as you might think not to realize that he has ears and eyes everywhere in this place." When her blank gaze wavered, Nicholas almost jumped in triumph. He guessed right, did he not? Of course he did! Gaining more confidence, he continued, "He knew of my visits outside your chamber and he knew that my brother is a Town Guard. And for having evaded justice for years with his illegal slave trade, I assume he is not stupid."

Sophia moistened her lips. Her eyes blinked rapidly as her hands restlessly smoothed her flimsy nightgown. She was uneasy now and he was grinning like a fool for his momentary brilliance.

"Come with me," he said in almost a whisper, turning serious. If he was ever to miserably fail this bloody mission, he at least had to be able to face his brother and say he did his best. He was not a Town Guard for a reason and he just proved it today.

He knew he failed when she started to shake her head. "It is not very easy, my lord." The bitter smile returned on her lips.

"Whyever not? Just get up, pack your things and storm out the bloody door. My carriage is waiting outside at this very moment. You do not have to be seen near Rock'oles ever again. I will do my best to provide you with protection. I have means."

"Tempting offer, my lord, but I must regretfully decline. I am not someone you ought to waste your resources for."

"Sophie—"

"Someone very powerful is holding Lord Durley and the others and I am amongst them. We cannot easily walk away when such a powerful man has us on a leash." When Nicholas waited with bated breath, she added, "Alan Osegod, the Head of the Town Leaders, is a part of all of this."

Nicholas was surprised that she told him about Osegod, of this very sensitive information. "All the more reason why you ought to come with me. You can help end all of this."

She shook her head. "I am not someone who could easily saunter in front of the Men of Courts and be believed."

"No, you are someone. That is enough for—"

"I am not a witness, my lord, if that is what you are thinking. I do not know everything for I never read any of the letters being passed around these men. I am naught but a messenger. I cannot help you or your brother."

Nicholas gritted his teeth in frustration. "Do you know what else is Osegod involved with? Do you know the extent of his plans?"

"No and I am telling you, my lord, I know nothing."

A surge of anger erupted inside Nicholas. "He has gathered many gentries under his wing to use and manipulate. He tried to do the same to my family and when we did not cooperate, he caused an accident in one of our mines. My sister-in-law is limping because of a carriage accident that bastard has staged. And although he had decided to leave us be for now, I know that he shall find his way back. The slave case is the only way we can assure that Osegod can never harm us or any other family again. We have knowledge that he is planning something far bigger and this slave trade is naught but one of his lousy games, but it is the only way to begin. We need all the help we can have."

Her nose flared. "I did not know that he has done those things to your family."

"I don't expect you to sympathize. I simply expect that you help us."

"But as I have said, I do not know anything!" The anger and frustration in her voice was also imminent.

"Then what do you intend to do? Keep pretending that there are no women and children being stolen from their villages to be sold for hard labor without pay? You shall stay inside this bloody dark chamber of yours and content yourself with the short visits from these despicable men?"

"You have said enough, my lord," she said, her voice shaking. "Please, do not tempt me to order you to remove yourself from my chamber."

"I might as well do it!" he hissed. "You and I both know why I am here in the first place. I am here to upon my brother's request and you upon your master's orders. That is what Durley is to you, Sophie. He is your master and you are naught but his own personal slave—a very willing one!"

She turned her head to the right, her beautiful face filled with stubbornness.

"Bloody tarnation," Nicholas said, whirling around in search for something. If this was to be his last visit, he might as well plead his case with a much better lighting.

Finding the switch for the ceiling lamp by the door, he stormed forward and flicked it on.

The entire chamber was suddenly filled with bright light, brighter than what was necessary. Nicholas turned to find Sophia staring at him with eyes round with surprise.

As he moved, he realized her gaze was following him and he went cold.

The cat hissed at the same time the dog growled, alerted by the light. But Nicholas could not focus on them for he was stupefied.

Bloody hell.

Sophia's face was dark with fury and Nicholas ground his teeth, cursing himself.

Bullocks!

She was not completely blind after all.