I've searched every bit of the castle, but there's no sign of Charlotte. Unless there's another hidden safe room I'm unaware of, but it's not likely she'd have found it on her own, and the rest of the staff is accounted for.
"Could she have slipped out?" I ask Vincent. She's used to working at a brothel, not avoiding the wrath of deadly assassins invading the court. Maybe she decided it wasn't worth playing pretend and left court. But where would she have gone and how would she have gotten away?
"Maybe?" He rubs his forehead, looking tense and frustrated. I don't blame him. I'm not feeling too good about her disappearing act, either. "We were getting along fine. I like her, even told her I'd like her to marry me when she's ready, and then the bastards came in through the window. I saw them, shoved her out the door and down the hall into another room, where I tried to hide her. At that point, the three men split up in the castle, each going for whatever their intended target was, I assume our king and queen. I grabbed my sword and went after one of the men."
"We should check the stables. Make sure all the horses are accounted for," I say.
"I'll go outside and do that right now," Lucas says, heading out of the hall and to the foyer.
Vincent steps closer. "I can't have it known that I paid for a maiden. You do realize the damage it will do to my reputation. Women provide dowries, not men."
"The money wasn't going to Charlotte," I say, reminding him that he didn't do anything wrong. He had been led to believe it was a donation to the church, thanks to Lucas' involvement.
Vincent's eyes narrow as he steps closer to me. "Even so, word can't get out what I've done. If Charlotte were to tell anyone—"
"She won't." I reach out, resting a hand on his arm trying to reassure him the best way I know how. "Charlotte wouldn't do that. If she's gone, it's because she's frightened from seeing three men invade the castle."
Vincent crosses his arms. "One of them said her name. How is it that they knew who she was?"
"The men who broke into the castle were rebels who followed Lord Thomas. Without question, they were set out on destroying Queen Isabella and King Alexander. It's certainly possible that Charlotte knows Lord Thomas. He's from a region not far from Paris," I say. "Or if she didn't know him, she could have known either of his men." Had the men visited the brothel and been customers of Charlotte's? It would explain how they knew her.
"I see." There's a long moment of silence that passes before he says anything further. "Promise me you'll find Charlotte and bring her home. I'm worried something terrible might have happened to her. I may have only spent a few hours with her, but I do like her, and I could imagine a life with her if she's still willing to live here at the castle."
I can't make any assurances that Charlotte will want to return. "Leave it to Lucas and me to find her." I pat his arm comfortingly and step outside into the darkness. Relieved to know the intruders are gone, I hurry to the stables to find Lucas. There are three guards outside, but none pay heed to the fact I'm out here.
The air has grown colder since spending time in the garden with Lucas. Perhaps the fact we're not in such a small enclosed space, the wind has found its way to cause me to shiver.
Lucas carries a lantern in the darkness as he checks each stall.
"Are any of the horses missing?" I ask, stepping inside.
Lucas heads toward me. "Just one. My guess is Charlotte took off for Paris. Can't say I blame her. I'd have done the same thing."
"What do we do? Vincent is expecting to marry her. At the very least, he wants assurances that she's still alive and well." We can't just let her leave for Paris. We should bring her back to Vincent to tell him the truth, well a half-truth, that she doesn't want to wed him.
"We ride to Paris tonight. My guess is she'll be with Helene and the other girls from the brothel," Lucas says.
I hate that he knows them all by first name. I push down my insecurities. We're doing this for Charlotte and Vincent.
"I've never ridden by horse, only coach," I say.
"Well then, this will be a real treat. You hold on while I do the navigating."
The ride to Paris is both exhilarating and terrifying. I cling to Lucas, unwilling to let go even as we approach the tavern. He's already informed me the brothel is upstairs, but the girls frequent the establishment to get new clientele.
"We're here," Lucas says. He can't climb down until I relinquish my grip from around his waist.
"Oh, right."
Lucas climbs down first and then offers me his hand. My arms wrap around his neck as he helps me onto solid ground. I expel a soft laugh and wait while he drops the reins on the ground. "What are you doing?" I ask, expecting him to tie the creature to a post or a tree. Something to keep the horse from roaming off. How will we get home if our ride has wandered off and gotten lost?
"He'll be fine. He's trained to stay put by ground tying. Come on." Lucas links his arm in mine and leads me into the brothel. Am I the least bit uncomfortable? Yes. I glance back at the horse. He hasn't moved at all. Me? I'd like to be in his position instead of meeting all the women Lucas has consorted with. My stomach is fizzy with nerves.
He lets go of my arm, long enough to open the door and lead me inside the tavern. Do I feel uncomfortable here? Absolutely. My eyes search the building for Charlotte. Could we have made a mistake and someone else had taken a horse from the stable at the castle?
"Helene!" Lucas waves to the woman I'd met just a few hours ago. She stalks over and drags one finger down his chest.
"Couldn't resist me, Lucas?" Helene asks, her voice purring like a feline in heat. "I knew you'd come back."
Although the establishment is dark, I'm certain Lucas' cheeks have turned a fiery shade. My hand moves to his lower back and down to his ass, reminding him what's at stake. If he wants a different life, one with me, then he's going to have to prove it.
"As flattered as I am, we're looking for Charlotte. Have you seen her?"
Helene steps closer, her eyes drifting down Lucas' form and then mine. "Why are you two asking? Didn't she leave with you to play the role of a lifetime?" Is there a hint of jealousy in her voice? Her tone raises slightly as she speaks; she's concealing something. I'm not sure why she should be jealous. Lucas offered her the job first, unless she turned it down because she had feelings for him?
I turn my head, meeting Lucas' stare. We can't tell Helene we lost Charlotte, can we? Although it isn't like she's a cat and she escaped from our home. Charlotte left when the castle had been under attack. Had it been me and my first day at court, I'd have done the same. With no ties to the court or Vincent, why force herself to stay? It wasn't worth the jewels and clothes, although she would have a man to take care of her, a beautiful castle to live in, and plenty of food to eat. It wasn't such a bad life, either.
Lucas leans forward into Helene's personal space and I feel the burn of jealousy singeing my skin. "An attempt was made on the castle this evening. The attack was thwarted, and the men detained, but not before one recognized Charlotte."
"We need to find Charlotte before this mess gets any bigger," I say.
Helene shuffles her weight on her feet. "Well, she's not down here."
My eyes glance at the stairs. "So, she's upstairs?" I slip out of Lucas' grasp and climb the creaky wood stairs. At the top, I wander through the dark hall. There are three doors and they're all closed. "Charlotte, I need to speak with you. Come out now, or I'm coming in."
Not a single door opens, but I hear a whisper from behind the wood and the soft pad of bare feet on the ground.
"Charlotte!" My voice raises an octave. I'm not above opening the door to see if Charlotte is inside hiding or servicing a client.
The handle turns and I step closer to the room, watching as she peeks out, barely opening it and certainly not enough for me to know whether she's alone or not. "Can't you go away?"
"No. We made a deal," I say. "You want out, you owe me twenty gold that it cost today."
Charlotte's bottom lip juts out, pouting. "I don't have twenty gold. Give me time, I can work it off."
"Vincent likes you. He wants to marry you."
"Sure, for now," Charlotte says. "But once he gets to know me, the real woman I am and my past, he's going to hate me for it."
"That's why you don't tell him!"
Charlotte nods. "I know, and when I agreed, I had no plans to tell him, but I saw Michael at the castle, one of my regulars, and it's bound to seep out. Secrets don't stay hidden forever. Even if we want them to."
"So, you're done?" I ask. "You didn't have any feelings for Vincent when you spent time with him?"
Charlotte glances away. I can see the conflicting emotions crossing her features. She's torn and I know that feeling; it's what I experienced my first time with Lucas. As badly as I wanted him, I knew he was bad for me. "He'll be happier with another girl. Someone who doesn't share my past," she says.
"You don't believe that." I can feel her struggle and if she truly didn't want to be wrapped up in this mess or with Vincent, I would set her free, let her break the promise she made.
"No." Charlotte steps out from the room and wraps the robe further around herself.
"Do you have a guest with you?" I ask, though I know it's not any of my business.
Charlotte refuses to answer my question. "I can't go back with you. Tell Vincent that I had second thoughts and returned home. He'll understand. After what happened at the castle today, he'll have to."
"You have no idea!" I shake my head and let out a calming breath. "Vincent spent every moment after the assailants were captured looking for you, searching the castle for you. He's in love with you, Charlotte, and I'm sure it's infatuation at this point, but he's a kind and considerate man. Maybe he's a little domineering and likes things done his way, but I can attest to the fact he is a guard for the king, which makes him special. Vincent can give you the world, not just an hour upstairs here."
Charlotte's brow furrows. "What happens when he discovers I'm a harlot? Will he be able to forgive me?"
"He doesn't have to find out. No one will," I say.
"Hannah! Lucas!"
My eyes widen. I could recognize that voice anywhere: Isabella. Why is she here? My mouth has grown dry, and I exhale, hoping it will calm my nerves and my heart.
"What brings you to Paris, Queen Isabella?" Lucas asks.
From the top of the banister, I watch with trepidation. I do not want to face a ferocious Ella.
"Imagine my surprise when I witnessed the two of you stealing a horse and riding off together in the middle of the night. It's no secret King Alexander gave you his blessing, but I find the whole situation quite suspicious. If Hannah had fallen in love with a duke, surely, she would have told me her secret. As I had entrusted her with so many of mine."
"I couldn't," I say, walking with grace down the stairwell, trying to look the part of a lady. I come to stand in front of her and curtsey as I've been taught to show respect to my queen.
"For heaven's sake, why are the two of you visiting a brothel? Would someone like to tell me what the hell is going on?"
"It's a tavern," Charlotte says, "and they came looking for me." She chews her bottom lip ragged on her descent down the stairwell.
"A prostitute?" Isabella asks, not seeming to make any connection to the story.
How long can I get away with lying to my queen? "Lady Charlotte had been invited to court to meet Vincent, a guard for King Alexander. He's been searching for a maiden and asked if we knew anyone who would be willing to be a bit more adventurous than most women would like to discuss."
"I see." Isabella shows no hint of a smile on her face. "You thought it best to arrange a marriage with a prostitute? Or am I to believe that she decided to take up that profession after she left court?"
"There's no shame in what we do," Charlotte says, walking down to the bottom stair, towering above the queen.
Isabella nods. "You've got no judgment from me. So long as Vincent is aware of the arrangement." Silence envelopes the room. "So I thought." Her eyes narrow as she meets my gaze. "You lied to Alexander and me."
How do I tell her I did what was best? "It's not like it sounds."
Lucas clears his throat and steps forward. "I propositioned Hannah into the arrangement, Queen Isabella."
"Why would you do that?"
Lucas reaches for my hand and entwines our fingers together. "I wanted to spend time with her. I still do, every waking hour."
"Is she the only prostitute you've brought to court?" Isabella asks.
"Yes," I say. This time, it's not a lie. Annette may have been brought to the castle, but she wasn't a prostitute. I'm not lying, at least not directly. I will not divulge her secret; all of this had been done to protect her. Lucas had dragged Vincent and Charlotte into this mess. He is as much to blame as I am.
"For what reason, Hannah? Did you not see the troubles that would follow and catch up with you? How do you think Alexander will respond when he finds out?" Isabella asks.
I dread the king discovering what I've been doing. It's not just the admission of guilt in lying and bringing home a prostitute, but I'd been deceiving the king in my trips to Paris. He won't be so lenient. I know Ella still holds an ember of my heart; the fire may not burn, but it's there and always will be.
"You've kept my secret, now I'm keeping yours, Hannah. Go. Get out of here. Don't ever come back to court. For if you do, I will be forced to tell your secret to King Alexander."
I want to hug her, throw my arms around her and apologize while also thanking her for keeping my secret. We all have secrets we can't let get out. Instead, I nod and grip Lucas' hand. Will he take me with him?
I walk to the door and step outside. The night air has grown bitter. I grimace and wrap my arms around myself to stay warm.
Lucas is just a beat behind me.
"Where will we go?" I ask. My home, my life at court is done.
"You shall come home with me," Lucas whispers and turns me around, pulling me against him into his arms. "I may not live in the royal palace, but I have a castle of my own. You might quite like it if you give it a chance."
My arms slide around his neck and his hands fall to my waist. "Are you asking me to marry you?" A huge smile splays across my face. Has he been truthful in finding a maiden all this time? Surely, if he is, he will tell me now, as our lives depend on being honest with one another.
Lucas laughs. "No, I was asking you to come live with me, but I suppose that would require your hand, would it not?"
The wooden door to the brothel groans open and behind Lucas is Isabella. She steps out from the tavern, just an arm's length away.
"We should go," I say, leaning into his ear, my breath teasing his cold skin. I cling to Lucas, following him back to the horse, and I take his assistance as he leads me to his castle. My lips graze his ear as we ride into the night. "How do you think the queen got to Paris?" I ask. Had she ridden a horse just like us? It seemed quite unlike Ella, but so had her surprise visit and following us.
"The same way we did," Lucas says into the wind. "Though I suspect she may keep our secret, Alexander will want to know where his queen's been."
I don't doubt that for a second.