Page 67 of An Extraordinary Lord

Veronica moved forward. “Ivy, it’s all right—”

“This has nothing to do with me!” The girl’s frantic voice rose higher in mounting panic. “Let me go!”

Veronica took another step. She stood so close now that she could lunge and be on top of the man before he could react. Her hand tightened around the knife. She shifted her weight to the balls of her feet in preparation to spring, for a powerful right thrust to that soft spot between the man’s ribs and hips—

A long blade sliced through the sailcloth, into the man’s back, and out through his belly.

He spasmed, jerking violently as his hands fell away from Ivy. The girl tumbled to the floor as his mouth opened and blood spilled out. Then the sword yanked back free of his body, and he fell forward, dead before he hit the floor.

“Ivy!” Veronica dropped her knife and ran forward. She fell to her knees on the floor and pulled the wailing girl into her arms.

A hand reached beneath the sailcloth and lifted it out of the way. Filipe ducked beneath it and stepped into the room. He paused at the man’s feet as a thick, red puddle oozed around his boots. Matching blood dripped from his sword. Filipe poked him with the toe of his boot to make certain he was dead.

The attacker’s shirt had pulled back when he slid to the floor and revealed marks on the side of his neck. Through the shadows, Veronica could just make out a tattoo—

Her heart lodged in her throat.A key.The same symbol she’d seen on General Liggett’s uniform.

“He was here after you,” Filipe muttered and kicked the man again. Hard.

“Yes.” She pressed Ivy’s head against her shoulder as the girl fought to choke back her terrified sobs.

His dark gaze lifted slowly to meet Veronica’s. “God only knows how many people he could have hurt while looking for you.”

“Yes,” she whispered, self-recrimination pulsing through her as painfully as the sound of Ivy’s cries.

“He was here because of the riots.” Filipe wiped the sword over his thigh to clean off the blood, then spat on the man. “Not because of thief-taking.”

“Yes.” She tightened her arms around Ivy to gather what little resolve she could and admitted, “I’ve lied to you. The past few nights…I haven’t been out catching criminals.”

“What have you been doing?”

She confessed softly, “Working for the Home Office.”

The expression of betrayal that tightened his face pierced her. He was a brother to her, the only person left from her childhood who loved her. And she’d deceived him.

“Their agents caught me a few nights ago while I was patrolling for Fernsby. They knew I’d escaped from prison.” She smoothed back Ivy’s hair and placed a kiss to the girl’s forehead, equally to console herself as much as Ivy. “They offered me a pardon if I cooperated with them to find the men responsible for the riots.”

He paused to absorb her confession, then he asked quietly, “So that Mr. Herbert you brought here—is he a rioter or a Home Office snitch?”

“A barrister.” Telling Filipe anything more would put Merritt in danger. “He’s going to secure my pardon when the mob’s leaders are found.”

Filipe gestured a hand at her gown. “Did he dress you up like this, too?”

“Yes.” Her heart broke at the torn and blood-stained gown that had once been so beautiful. She’d danced with Merritt only a few hours before, but now, the ball seemed a lifetime ago.

Filipe stared at her for a long while as if trying to find the sister he knew inside the woman at his feet. Then he gave up, as if she were a stranger to him. His resignation filled her with guilt and desolation.

He pointed his sword at the body that was still bleeding out onto the floor. “Your presence here endangers the entire Court.”

“I know.” Just as she knew in her gut what was coming next—

“I want you to leave.”

The quiet words pierced her. She bit the inside of her cheek, calling on the pain to keep all emotion from her face.

“Until the riots are over, until you’re done with the Home Office,” Filipe ordered, “you cannot be here. Men are after you. Our friends won’t trust you.” He shook his head. “Ican’t trust you.”

She sucked in a mouthful of air.Exile…