Everything drastically changed for Sasha.

The secrets were beginning to mount, and she struggled to take control, all the while hoping that she was doing the right thing.

Never had she thought that she would come to a point where she had to break Belcourt law. All for one woman she could not even find. All because she chose to trust a man.

Be a good girl...

The words echoed in her head.

Was she? Was she being a good girl?

Or was she a woman who succumbed to the manipulation of a man?

But it seemed right. It felt right.

Yet why did she feel regret?

Was it the sudden change of the dynamic of the game between them?

He never sought her out again after that night, did he?

He never came near for three days.

Their last meeting ended with her being taken home by his carriage alone.

It ended when they signed a new agreement, one that did not prohibit them from being lovers. Neither of them dared mention it, and none dared to pen it down. They had learned their lesson.

The agreement was plain and simple.

They looked for his sister and perhaps they would find answers about Gabrielle and Belcourt.

He would not take his sister by force.

No one betrays anyone either.

Three simple rules with some left unspoken.

What would happen to them now?

His question stayed with Sasha even to this day.

It haunted her thoughts at night when she would lie in bed, alone and in fear. Willoghby was still free and Gabrielle was letting him for some unknown reason.

She and West would never be the same.

There was no point in regretting it.

She made her choice and it was a choice she should live for from now on. It could never be undone.

She knew from the very first time they met that her goal was to serve Belcourt and stay in Belcourt. His was to find his sister. And perhaps save the kingdom by doing so.

"You are staring blankly in the air again, dear," Prince Albert's voice said.

Sasha blinked, looking at the man sitting across from her.

Should she have trusted this man instead?

Should she have gone to Belcourt and reported the journal?

Was she making the same mistake she did when she did not report Willoghby?

The questions attacked her as notoriously as the prince did at their game. She looked down at the chessboard. "I seem to be losing."

"Because your mind is elsewhere," the prince pointed out with narrowed eyes. "Why so, Sasha?"

"It is nothing."

"I heard that you and Blackwood have been seeing some progress. You are often in his villa."

"Yes."

The prince grinned, his blue eyes glimmering with mirth. "Did I not say Humbrick is the trick?"

Sasha flushed. "You did not, but that one is true. Humbrick did the trick, indeed."

The prince clapped his hands together. "Perfect." He gave Sasha a leveled look. "Now, all you have to do is worm your way into Everleigh—his estate."

Sasha nodded.

"You must look hard, Sasha. He is a rather wise man. Find out where he goes whenever he disappears. Know everyone in his circle. You need to know him well enough to know where he might be hiding his secrets."

Slowly, she nodded. "For all we know, Albert, they are in the fireplace, reduced to ashes. But I shall try to search somewhere else."

"You need not waste more time, Sasha. The kingdom's safety relies on this mission."

All she could do was nod, for what else could she say?

"Now, do tell me... how is West Blackwood as a lover?"

Sasha blinked, dumbfounded by the blunt question. "I... I believe I cannot say. I have no other reference for comparison."

The prince erupted in a boisterous laugh that Sasha had never heard before. He shook his head. "Oh, darling, Sasha. My question does not require experience, but seeing the color on your face, I can most definitely say that Blackwood does not fail to provide immense pleasure."

She cleared her throat, shifting uncomfortably in her chair. "I would rather we talk about something else, Albert. I am not keen on talking about my intimate relationship with the duke."

"Fair point," said the prince, nodding. "Then tell me something. How do you find your life in Belcourt? From your very first memory of the place up to this point."

"Why are you curious?"

Albert scoffed. "Darling, I grew up in a bloody castle. I barely know anything."

Sasha smiled. "Then the same can be said to me. I grew up enclosed behind Belcourt's walls. Most days I was impatient, always wishing to grow up faster so I could be courted."

"And you were."

"I was. Twice."

The prince laughed.

"But I do miss the Manor. We had to spend nearly the entire day with someone. We were never alone. We could never have our own rooms. There would always be other children about and most often, we had to take care of the younger ones."

"What else would you do on a normal day?"

Sasha shrugged. "We study, of course. We must spend most of our days in the classrooms. And oh, we particularly love our trips to the Village."

"The Court of Service."

"There is a tea house there where many ladies from all different courts come together and chat. And there is also the laundry house where we used to play hide and seek. Oh. Now that I think of it, the entire Village is the perfect place for the game. No one ever ended up finding anyone."

The prince smiled. "And I am also certain that mealtimes must be chaotic."

Sasha considered her answer. "Not quite. We are trained to display a perfect manner around the table. But if you must ask about the young ones, then we might have a lot to talk about."

Albert laughed. "My life in the palace had never been that interesting."

"I have always thought the same," she honestly replied. "It must be difficult to have your actions constantly being watched because the people around you are afraid that you might be attacked at any moment."

"You just described my entire life, darling." He looked at the chess pieces on the table. "Everyone is always out there waiting for the right moment to attack and you have no choice but to constantly look over your shoulder, wondering if everyone is your loyal servant."

Sasha allowed a gentle smile, her own heart hammering.

"But you get used to it, of course," said the prince in a much lighter tone. "You find other things to fill your days and to mask the constant hordes of guards."

"Like Belcourt," she said in a teasing tone.

"Precisely, Sasha," he said, grinning from ear to ear. "Now you must realize that your life seems better than mine."

"Oh, trust me, Albert, I did not have to realize that."

The prince gave her a mocking scowl. "Then realize this—my knight has just killed your queen."

Sasha looked down and dropped her shoulders. "I did not see that coming."

"You are easily distracted you made the wrong move."

"You need not rub salt on the wound, Your Highness."

"How about another game?" he asked.

"How about a different game?" she offered. "I am honestly sick of chess."

*****

The following morning, Sasha walked out of her villa just in time to see Owen Compton climbing up his mother's estate. Their eyes met and the man immediately looked away before furiously knocking on the door.

"What took you so long!" he heard him shout at the servant before the doors closed.

"Now, it makes me curious what you could have done to the man that makes him cower in fear at the sight of you," West's light voice said from below the stairs at the side of the road. Sasha turned to look down at him.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I heard you are on your way to Belcourt."

Her eyes narrowed. "How did you know?"

He motioned over his shoulder at Briana. The woman grinned at Sasha from her seat behind the stagecoach.

Descending the stairs, Sasha said, "I believe it was not what we did that makes the baron cower in fear at the sight of me. It must be what Aliya whispered to him."

"Which is?" he asked, opening her carriage door for her.

She stopped for a moment. "I do not know. I am as curious as you."

Sasha climbed into the carriage and was not surprised when he followed.

She may have perfected her act of nonchalance, but her heart was rapidly racing in her chest.

So this was how they should play this new game? Pretend as though they had been playing it for a long time? No room for adjustments? No further arguments?

Was it the right thing to do?

She stole him a glance. He was looking out the window, watching the busy streets of downtown pass by. He seemed fine. Or was he also doing the same thing that she was? Pretending that this was their new normal?

If so, then she would not argue.

This may come handy when they finally had to part.

"Do you intend to stay at the library longer?"

Sasha nodded. "I stayed away long enough to avoid questions," she said in a low voice, making certain Briana could not hear them from the outside. "You are coming along to keep watch. You do not trust me."

His eyes veered toward her. Their gazes locked. "Can you blame me?"

She blinked away. "No."

The silence between them reigned until they had left Coulway and were well on their way to Belcourt. "You should introduce me to the other Belles that may be in the Flower Garden."

She frowned. "Why?"

He smiled. "I need to be entertained while you are away."

He would be looking around and asking questions. She sighed. "Very well, if you insist."

*****

Sasha entered the Court of Libraries with a sense of strange familiarity.

She could remember herself walking the same corridors, but she could no longer recall how it felt like. The feeling was alarming, but she shook it off as she entered the library of records. A familiar face greeted her and gave her the pass she needed to freely enter the room.

Once inside, the smell of old paper, candle, and wood greeted her.

Shelves that ran from ceiling to floor lined all walls and formed narrow alleyways in the center of the room, probably ten pairs of shelves in total.

When she was still a part of this court, she had only been here once. She never thought of the room again for there were other more interesting ones around the Library.

Sasha went straight to the section she knew would hold the information she needed to find.

She had thought hard and planned what she should do every time she came to the Library. Due to the limited time she could spend here, knowing what she wanted to find and where to find it was necessary. She found her name and pulled out the thick book. With brisk steps, she walked to her next destination, her heart beating fast.

The records of all ladies in Belcourt—children and adults alike—were arranged by name and not by their years of birth. Finding one child born in 1781 would be nearly impossible.

Having found the birth record was one thing but finding the actual record of the child was another.

Sasha thought of only one way to find the woman.

The Courting Ceremony records.

Sasha immediately went on a hunt, all the while her own records firmly tucked under her arm. She eventually found the records of all ladies courted in the year 1799. If the child grew up in Belcourt, she should have been courted on that year.

Starting from the first woman who was courted, Sasha looked down the short list and frowned. There were only five women and none of them were courted on the date she was looking for. Sasha was certain that the child born in 1781 in Belcourt was delivered on the second day of August, but why was there no lady courted on the same date in 1799?

It was Belcourt practice that all ladies must be courted on the very day they turned eighteen.

The child in 1781 was never courted.

Sasha frowned.

Something was definitely amiss here and the frustrating part was that Sasha could feel she was very close to understanding why, but she could not grasp it.

"Sasha?" a voice asked behind her. "Are you done?"

"Jena," she said, "do you think you can help me with something?" she asked, pulling out her own records from under her arm, turned, blocking the other book with her skirts. "I found my records, but I am curious about something."

Jena frowned. "What about?"

"When I first came here, I had with me a satchel."

The Librarian waited for her to continue.

"I am merely wondering if the records can tell me what happened to it?"

Jena frowned with confusion. "I am certain there will be no record of such satchel, Sasha. Unless it contained something that would encourage the Library to put it on record."

"And if they do put that on record, where would they put it?" she lifted her record. "Here?"

"No," the woman replied with a shake of her head. "The Inventory, of course. Although I do not recommend you start digging. It is a mess, Sasha. You do not know how many things the children come with when they come here."

"Surely it would not be that difficult. I may spend a little more time here, then? To check the Inventory?"

Jena shook her head with a smile. "I do not know why you are even curious about your satchel, but of course, you can freely try to look into the Inventory. Section 8C."

Sasha smiled. "Thank you, Jena."

The woman grinned. "I see a glow about you, Sasha. One that you never had before. Being in the Garden seems to be doing you so much good."

"Perhaps," she replied.

As soon as Jena left, Sasha thought of something.

She turned and walked to the eastern side of the room and found Elizabeth Blackwood's record.

Sasha did not know why she never bothered to find out more about the woman and she knew she should have been more curious. Mayhap it was because she never cared if West found his sister. She never considered her task for her to be her priority until now.

She flipped the pages until the end and read.

Her eyes landed on one particular detail and she lifted her hand to muffle her gasp.

*****

West was surrounded by a flock of Belles, most of them from different parts of Sutherland, and currently staying in Belcourt for the season.

After Sasha introduced him to the only five Belles she was acutely familiar with, the rest of his afternoon was filled with unending chatters of every possible topic the ladies could think of.

He discovered that most of them were knowledgeable on vast subjects and that they rarely get tired exercising their speech. Having suffered nearly two hours of the same buzz of voices and laughter, he vowed never to be bothered by Ruby and Jade's prodding conversations for he would take them anytime.

His luck began to strike by four in the afternoon when approximately eight gentlemen arrived, most of whom people he was acquainted with from the House of Lords and others during the last Humbrick Ball.

The gentlemen, being more comfortable with the Belles, took the responsibility and invited the ladies for a walk in the garden. Now, with merely seven Belles left in the parlor, all of whom he was not introduced to and could not talk to, West finally had time to breathe.

He considered walking to Sasha's bedchamber where he could be truly alone but decided against it.

He did not know how to deal with her now.

Bloody tarnation, he could not even say if he could trust her.

He had not spoken to Rider and Tanner, had not told them that a little incident happened and now their plans could be in jeopardy.

All because he took his Belle to Everleigh.

Had he not been clear with his own rules?

Had he not said that she could never be associated with him and his title?

And where did that lead him now?

Pouring himself a drink, West sat in one corner to think of the possible outcomes this new partnership with Sasha may cost him.

She may be telling the truth and he may have a better chance of finding his sister

She could be lying, and he would find himself facing either the kingdom or Belcourt, either of which would end badly. It would cause a stir within his circle and most importantly, his plans.

Or she could be as lost as him, just searching for answers—for opportunities.

"He's Sasha's..." he heard one Belle whisper. The Belle beside her in a yellow dress leaned over and whispered something.

"Duke... yes... no, uncertain..." the other one replied.

"Sasha? The Fainting Belle?"

"Hush!"

"But... where... Coulway?"

West's jaw tightened.

"Lucky Belle, eh?" the one in yellow asked with a chuckle.

"I heard... attacked somewhere in... true?"

"Willoghby, yes."

West closed his eyes.

"But... she is not even... well, I would hate to say."

"What? Pray tell..."

He sensed them looking at him, then heard them stand and walk toward the door, intending to take their conversation elsewhere.

"She must be good in bed for Willoghby to desperately want her," he heard one of them say too early. "She has a hidden flower... and I heard he is..."

He almost jumped out of his seat to hear the rest of the woman's words but stopped himself as it just struck him.

Sasha had a hidden flower.

What if Sasha was working with this man? What if she had once more managed to manipulate West into believing she was working with him?

What if—

No, he had to clearly think.

They had an agreement.

And somehow, despite the anger and betrayal, despite better judgment, he had to trust her.

She was the best option.

*****

Sasha walked the remaining miles back to the Flower Garden, her mind reeling with her discovery.

"Sasha," the familiar voice made her stop cold.

She turned and found Gabrielle behind her. When the woman saw her, she was frowning. "I told you it is not wise to return to Belcourt."

Sasha sighed. "West has been insistent that I find his sister soon. I try my best to pretend that I am doing something, one of which is taking a trip to the Library." Then she gazed at Gabrielle wearing her green cloak. "I have not seen you for quite some time."

"I have a different assignment," the woman said, avoiding her gaze. Her green eyes stared at the direction of the Flower Garden. "I heard he has finally invited you into his estate."

"How did you know?"

"The prince informed the Mistresses, of course."

Sasha nodded. "Yes, I have been to Everleigh."

"And did you find anything?" Gabrielle's eyes looked hopeful.

She shook her head. "No, not yet. I cannot simply start searching, Gabrielle. He will suspect."

Gabrielle nodded and sighed, looking around them. "Have you had a talk with the Mistresses?"

"No, not today."

"Are they aware that you are here today?"

Sasha shook her head.

"Then it is best you leave before they find out," Gabrielle insisted. "They will not be pleased to know you have taken West here. It is too risky, Sasha. He might be drawing a map of Belcourt as we speak. Do you understand what I am talking about?"

"Yes, of course. I understand your concern, Gabrielle—"

"Then leave Belcourt at once and try your best not to return until I give you word that you can. And do not leave your flower alone anywhere in Belcourt, Sasha."

Sasha was desperate for answers, but she knew that this was not the place to get them. No, not here in Belcourt.

Looking at Gabrielle would never be enough. The woman was too cautious. Her eyes were void of anything that might otherwise indicate she was being deceitful. Sasha could only see what Gabrielle wanted her to see.

"When do I expect you to visit me in Coulway?"

Gabrielle shook her head. "I do not know. If you have found something, I will be there."

Sasha nodded. "I will send you word the soonest I have something."

"No, Sasha. You will simply wait for me. I will know if you find anything."

A chill ran up Sasha's spine as Gabrielle's calculating green eyes looked at her. She slowly nodded. "Very well. Good day, Gabrielle. I hope to deliver something very soon."

"I hope the same." Gabrielle turned and walked down the path that led to the Village.

Sasha watched her walk away, her mind racing.

She turned and hastily made her way back to the Flower Garden and to West.

They needed to talk.