"While I do understand that you seem so distant to the threats, Sasha, I also do not comprehend why you would put your servants at risk by staying in that villa."

West was terribly angry, which Sasha understood. She knew where his frustrations came from. Even she was frustrated with herself and she would hate to place Iyana and the others in danger.

"Is it your other gentleman? Did he call for you?"

Her jaw tightened. "Yes."

His eyes flickered to the opposite side of the room. The cords in his neck bulged as he controlled his anger.

"I need to see him."

"Why?"

"Because I am still a Belle, West! I cannot give Belcourt a reason to wonder."

He looked arrested. His hands fell to his side. Then he closed her eyes to take in a breath. When he opened his eyes, he was almost pleading. "You will not stay the night in your villa. You go home to mine."

She nodded.

Two days later, she was back in her villa.

The prince arrived at the usual time and proceeded to another game of chess. Sasha would have thought that it was one of their typical rendezvous if not for the slight difference in the prince's demeanor.

"You seem awfully quiet," Sasha noted in a jesting tone.

The prince rolled his eyes and sighed. "It is nothing, my dear. You must know that parliament has begun, and you do not know the devastation both houses can create."

"You should try to relax, Albert, for the season will last long."

"Why do you think I am here, Sasha?" he wryly said. "You are the only solace I can find in this situation. But even you have things to occupy your days, do you not?"

"Yes."

Albert's gaze cornered hers. Then he smiled. "Eaton has been missing quite a few sessions of late. I hope it is your doing?"

She smiled. "You were correct, Albert. Once I managed to get into his bed, it was easier to keep him there. He is slowly telling me stories from his childhood. How long do you think until he can trust me with more secrets?"

The prince seemed impressed. "That is my girl." Gracefully, he picked up a pawn and knocked out one of her own. "Have you found anything in Everleigh?"

"No, nothing thus far, but I know he received another letter from London."

That caught the prince's attention. The man's eyes quickly went to her. "Did he?"

Sasha nodded. "I believe he burns the letters, Albert."

"Have you no way of getting to them before he does?"

Sasha shrugged. "His valet is a fool."

The prince grinned. "Perfect."

"I am not certain if you are aware, but he has given me a proposition."

"What kind?"

"To find his sister in Belcourt."

The prince did not look so surprised. "I told you before, did I not? Well, what have you done thus far?"

"I already told someone in Belcourt. That person must have already told the Mistresses, but I am yet to receive more orders on the matter. West Blackwood, as you understand, can be quite impatient. He wants results and I am afraid I need to give him something, else he would suspect. I have been trying to search on my own."

The prince slowly nodded, eyes regarding her with caution. "And what did you find?"

Sasha smiled. "I do not know if I should tell you. I have not told West either. But I do plan to tell my Mistress. She may provide further information and altogether provide advice on how to deal with West."

Albert shook his head. "I will relay the message myself. If his sister is indeed in Belcourt, we must find her before he does. But that is not your task. You focus on West Blackwood for now. We shall provide you the information you will give him regarding his sister. Has he offered you payment??

Sasha slowly nodded, "Yes, he did."

The prince nodded. "Did you get the money?"

She nodded. "Half of it."

"Good. Demand for more. Let him believe you are greedy."

"If that is what you wish, of course."

Slowly nodding, Prince Albert's blue eyes held Sasha's bluish-grey globes. She thought she saw something flash for a quick second, but it quickly disappeared. His gaze scrutinizing, he asked in a low voice, "Is there more you wish to tell me, Sasha?"

Sasha felt a shiver up her spine, but she shook it off by clearing her throat. "Yes," she said.

His brows cocked high.

"You are losing," she said with a smile, pushing her knight toward his queen.

*****

Sasha absently entered West's villa, murmuring, "Thank you, Darren," her mind elsewhere.

"Oh, thank you, Darren?" West's voice said behind her and she blinked, turning to find him firmly shutting the door.

"Did you open the door for me?" she asked, looking around for Darren.

"Darren has already retired to his chamber," he informed her, closing the distance between them. "How was your evening?"

His brows were fused, his arms folded over his chest. And his smoldering gaze caused Sasha to blink in confusion. "Are you jealous?"

"No," he replied before she could even finish her question.

"Then why are you angry?"

"You must not have realized what time it is," he said, one eyebrow arching high.

"I very well know what time it is." She turned and started for the stairs. "We have matters to discuss."

"I understand that you have to continue being a Belle, Sasha, but you must also be apprised that I hate sharing."

"Then you are jealous."

"I am not—" she heard him pause behind her. "Yes, perhaps I am." And in haste, he added, "You must also know that I am summoning the best of my discipline not to find this hidden flower of yours."

"I do not see him as foreseeable harm, West," she said.

"You can never know for certain. There are reasons why these hidden flowers remain hidden," he said, stepping up beside her up the stairs. "Unless you tell me his name to find out."

She smiled. "West Blackwood, you are a dear when jealous, but I would not disobey more of Belcourt's rules by telling you my hidden flower's name." She paused at the top of the stairs and cocked her brow at him. "I have come up with a plan."

"What plan?" he asked, following her toward his bedchamber.

Entering the room, Sasha looked for Seven. "Where is Seven?"

"Everleigh."

"You cannot leave him there—"

"We will return first thing on the morrow." He locked the door behind him. "Now, the plan?"

Sasha walked to the middle of the room, putting as much space between them as possible. Then she placed her hands on her hips and held his gaze. "I know that you will find my plan very insane—"

"Then it is a no," he interrupted.

She closed her eyes and took a breath. Finding his gaze as she opened them, Sasha repeated, "I know that you will find my plan very insane, but it is the only way I can—"

"If it is your type of insane, Sasha, it is a no."

"Let me finish!" she insisted through gritted teeth. "Let me finish."

West shook his head in frustration.

When he said nothing, she continued, "I thought of a way to take Gabrielle here."

He frowned. "Here?"

She nodded. "In this villa, yes."

His eyes narrowed into slits. "This is where your insane is going to appear, is it not?"

Squaring her shoulder, Sasha said, "I entice Willoghby here."

"No." He walked to the other side of the room, removing his cravat along the way. "I heard your plan and I am saying no."

"She is always watching him. And I am not certain why, but I believe she saved me twice because I am not supposed to be harmed."

He stiffened, his back at her. "No, Sasha. She saved you because it would push Belcourt to investigate. She is saving you to do what she needs to do."

"Then we both agree that she does not want me dead."

He whirled around, eyes glinting with fury. "Do you truly have no sense of fear, Sasha? Or do you simply have a bloody death wish?"

Sasha blinked in surprise. "You think I have no sense of fear?"

"Of course! You act as though you have nothing to fear. You care not that you are placing your entire household in danger simply because you have this propensity to lie. You lied about Willoghby. You would have not told a soul about Compton if you were given the chance. You come up with your plans on your own with no regard to your safety!" He was breathless when he finished, but he had more to say, "You disconnect yourself to the true nature of things, Sasha. As much as you claim to want the truth, you refuse to see the true danger. You refuse to see Belcourt for what it is, and you purposely ignore that you are no longer alone, just like how you did that afternoon you woke up and found your parents—"

"Dare not go there," Sasha said, her voice shaking. In fact, her entire body was shaking. "You do not know the amount of fear I have to constantly live with."

She stormed toward the door and walked out.

He chased her down the staircase. "Sasha..."

"I need to be alone, West. Leave me be for one second."

"No, you are done being alone!"

"Why do you care so much!" she demanded, reaching the bottom of the stairs. She whirled around to face him. "Do you not want to find her? Are we not doing this to find her?"

West stopped in front of her. She saw the look of realization in his eyes.

"You might have forgotten, but our goal here is one and the same," Sasha said, lowering her voice. "If you have a better idea, Your Grace, I would be happy to listen."

She waited, arching her brow.

"Well, do you have one?"

She watched his jaw go tight and his eyes boring into hers. "Bloody hell, woman, I hate that you are right."

Sasha stiffly nodded. "Good. Now, if you are over your irrational need to protect me, I would like to go to bed."

"What if she already has Willoghby? You said it yourself. She has been following the bloody bastard."

"Then there will be no Willoghby to come to me and we find another way to get Gabrielle."

"I can have my men find and get her."

"There is not merely one way into and out of Belcourt, West."

"Then tell me where else can someone enter and exit Belcourt."

"If I know, I will not tell you. Luckily for me, I am saving myself another argument with you because I do not know. Only the Soldiers know the other ways into Belcourt."

"But there are only so many roads to Coulway. I can very well have men on the road to wait for her."

"I am certain you have already tried that, West." She looked at him with a knowing smile. "Have you not?" When his nostrils flared, Sasha scoffed. "And here you are accusing me of making my own plans."

"I could not fully trust you then," he reasoned.

Sasha sighed. "Do not start fully trusting me now," she told him, her eyes locked into his. "My loyalty is still with Belcourt."

*****

Later that evening, Sasha lay in bed wide awake, thinking of West's words.

You disconnect yourself to the true nature of things, Sasha...

She knew she was not stupid. She knew he was right.

Her propensity to lie was not because she wanted to, but because she did not want to believe the fear. She had managed to ignore her parents' lifeless body and went on her way to Belcourt without any thoughts but just to get there because that was what her father said.

Go to Belcourt and be a good girl...

A sob escaped her lips and she rolled to the side, burying her face in the pillow to stop the tears. Her shoulders began to shake and good Lord, how she tried to stop them!

She breathed through her mouth to be quiet. She muffled the whimper by biting down on the pillow. She shut her eyes tight, but her father's face appeared in front of her, the tip of the pistol right under his chin. His eyes were at peace, grateful for the choice she made.

Why did he do it?

It was no longer a question. She had long decided the answer would never come to her. Her studies on the mysteries of the mind had never given her the answer she sought for.

Perhaps, in time, he would speak in one of the visits in her dreams. Perhaps he would say why he did it before he pulled the trigger.

Another sob escaped her throat. She clutched the covers underneath the pillow to remain unmoving.

West's arm wormed around her waist from behind and pulled her closer to him. Sasha flinched in surprise and alarm, hastily wiping her face with her hand without a word.

"You are louder when you are trying to hide the sobs," he murmured behind her, his lips lightly brushing her shoulder. "Are you aware of that?"

Sasha sniffled and slapped his arm, a whimper escaping her lips. He caught her hand, interlocked their fingers, and pulled her closer with a sigh. "Will you forgive me for what I said earlier?" He pressed his lips against her shoulder and stayed there.

Sasha's response was to turn around and wrap her arm and leg around him, burying her face in his chest to cry.

The following morning, West claimed she was wailing.