“Who are you?” said the voice, as he tried to step forward, his hands still outstretched. He had moved barely any distance, but it felt as though it had been miles. His body was weak, his head in agony, and yet he clung to the voice as though it was the only light he could see.
“Why am I in here?” he asked, aware of just how thready his voice sounded. “Why keep me in darkness?” His hands found something hard, and he ran his fingers down it, suddenly finding the cool metal of the door handle.
His heart jerked in his chest. Trying to turn it, he found – much to his exasperation – that the door was locked tight. The sound of footsteps made him pause, listening hard at what was being said.
“Here,” said the second voice, now a little clearer than before. “Do be careful, Lady Olivia. We have no knowledge of who that is. They might very well be a thief come to steal Lord Dayton’s things at night!”
“Olivia?”
Phillip rested his head against the door, suddenly realizing precisely where he was. “Olivia, is that you?”
There was a moment of silence before her answer came. “Yes,” she said, slowly. “It is I.”
The sense of relief that came over him practically crushed Phillip as he gasped, his breathing ragged. “Lady Olivia,” he said, her name almost a gift to him as he spoke it. “It is Lord Monteforte. Please, might you help me from this place of darkness?”
Phillip waited, his hand pressed against the door where he believed her face might be, holding his breath as he waited for her to speak. When she did so, her voice was tight with emotion, her upset clear in her words.
“Lord Monteforte,” she answered, as the other voice began to murmur something indistinct. “I have been wondering where you were. Lord Watt also has been searching for you. I…” There was a momentary pause. “I do not know how to open this door for it has no key.”
“Then can you find it?” he asked, his voice filled with hope as his courage and strength began to return to him. “I do not think I can abide being in this place for much longer, Lady Olivia. And there is a good deal more serious at stake, more that I must do once I am freed.”
He could hear Lady Olivia sigh as she tried the door handle futilely. “I—I could go to my uncle’s study,” he heard her say, her voice a little quieter as if she were speaking to the maid. “There must be a key there.”
“You can’t think that your uncle…!”
“I do,” Lady Olivia said firmly. “Now, stay here and I will be back shortly.”
“No.” The maid’s voice was stern, as if she were a governess ready to give her charge a strict talking to. “No, Lady Olivia. I will go. You cannot be seen by any of the staff to be going into Lord Dayton’s study! I cannot imagine what would be said if they saw you do so. No.” She cleared her throat, perhaps trying to regain some strength. “I will go. Remain here, Lady Olivia. Pray that I am successful.”
Lady Olivia, much to Phillip’s relief, did not argue. Instead, she sighed heavily and Phillip could only hear footsteps hurrying away from where he stood, making him believe that the maid had gone without hesitation.
“I am sorry for what has happened to you.” Lady Olivia’s voice was soft, filled with sadness and just a hint of confusion. “Do you know how you came to be here?”
Shaking his head, Phillip let out a long breath. “No, I do not. I awoke only a short time ago to find myself encased in darkness. The last thing I remember is leaving my townhouse to visit Lord Watt.”
Another sigh. “Then why would my uncle do such a thing?”
He swallowed hard, wishing he could be by her side as he told her the truth rather than separated by a door. “If I tell you the truth, Lady Olivia, I fear you will be grievously upset.”
“I would rather know it regardless,” came the swift response. “My uncle has never held any sort of affection for me, and whilst I will not pretend that I have cared greatly for him, I have never thought he would do something such as this.” Her voice dropped to the point that he had to strain to hear it. “I cannot imagine how he co
uld have done such a thing to you.”
Phillip closed his eyes, wanting to speak carefully and with wisdom so that he would not injure her more than was necessary. “My dear Lady Olivia, your uncle has been caught in a scheme to remove the Prince from his position here in England.”
The sharp intake of breath told him all he needed to know.
“Not that I have agreed to become involved,” he added hastily, for fear that she would think him equally guilty. “I work for the King, Lady Olivia. Lord Watt and I, as well as many others, all work together as one in order to bring peace and stability to our country. There are many spies within London, as well as gentlemen of the ton who will give information to the French in exchange for money or the like.”
“And you think my uncle is involved.”
“I believe Lord Cammish has involvement with the French, yes,” Phillip told her. “But I cannot say for your uncle. He has been caught up in Lord Cammish’s schemes and fully intends to remove the Prince from his position by any means he can, but whether or not it is for profitable gain or because he truly believes the monarchy would be better without Prinny, I cannot say.” He leaned his head against the door, wishing desperately that he could take her hand. “They believed me as equally eager for such a thing, but once I discovered the truth of their intentions, I sought to tell the others who work alongside me.”
“Including Lord Watt?” Lady Olivia’s voice was thin, and he was sure that, should he be able to see her, she would be pale with shock. “He seemed greatly disturbed that you had not appeared to call on me either.”
Phillip closed his eyes tightly. “Yes, Lord Watt was expecting me yesterday afternoon,” he said quietly. “He would have thought that something had caught me unexpectedly and that I was no longer able to call on him, for fear that I would give myself away.”
“Except it was, in fact, that my uncle sought to take you captive,” Lady Olivia muttered, clearly upset. “I do not know what is to become of us now.”