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Sophia nodded. Her pride would have to wait.

Frederick pulled off the gag, and she let out a wet cough as the lump of fabric slid out of her mouth. He brought up the glass, and she gulped down the water. Unlike the kidnapping itself, she could feel that Frederick had no practice doing anything thatrequired care. All of his movements were awkward and forceful—the signs of a man who had never raised children.

“Why are you doing this, Uncle?” she asked, once she was done drinking. He chuckled in response. “Don’t you see there’s no reason to fight anymore?”

“No reason to fight?” He exhaled loudly.

“You heard that it was all for naught. It all started with a simple misunderstanding…”

“My brother’s death was not a misunderstanding!”

He came so close to her that she could see veins popping in his forehead. She pulled back, but there was no more space for her to retreat to unless she could ram her way through solid wood. Under the dim lantern light, Frederick’s face was monstrous, a twisted mask of anger.

“Uncle…”

“Hisfathermurdered mybrother, girl! I had to hold his hand and watch the life leave his eyes,” Frederick spat. “Charles might be a weakling who could forget in an instant, but I am not.”

Sophia was now trembling.

There was never going to be any peace, was there?

“I already had to swallow my pride and watch thisbastardof a Pratt marry you.” His eyes were two glinting orbs in the low light. “And it’syour fault!”

“My… My fault?”

“If you had kept your mouth shut, I would have challenged him to a duel, and it all would have been over. I could have had him and had my vengeance, but youhadto complicate things!”

“Or he would have killed you. Or Father.” She finally felt the courage to speak up and stand up to him. Only metaphorically, of course, as her legs were still too tightly bound for that. “I was the only one that day who actually made an effort for peace! I was surrounded by foolish lions who wanted to tear each other apart! For nothing! And that was before I knew it was based on nothing! And, excuse me, but I don’t think blood for blood does any good at all!”

Frederick laughed in her face. “Oh, you stupid girl?—”

“My name is Sophia Pratt. And I am the Duchess of Heathcote. And if you don’t untie?—”

The gag was shoved back into her mouth.

Frederick looked at her, unimpressed. “If I don’t untie you? What? What will you do? Hm?” He cupped his hand over his ear, mocking her. “I can’t hear you, girl—you are going to have to speak up.”

She writhed and struggled against her bonds, her screams muffled by the gag.

“Oh, nothing to say? I guess you changed your mind then. Good girl,” he said and patted her cheek like he used to when she was little.

The familial touchinfuriatedher.

Frederick stood up. “I’m doing you a favor. Bigger than you can even imagine. In half a decade, you’ll be remembering this moment, and you’ll bethankingme. They havefooledyou, girl! You really believe all that hogwash you were told—that you supposedly read in a diary you justhappenedto find in the house of a Pratt? They know they are liars and murderers. And here you are, falling right into their trap, thinking that an eighty-year-old story will just makeeverythingall right.”

Sophia’s throat was hoarse with the futile effort of trying to speak, to scream.

“That you would stand so proudly by his side… that you would wear his name…” Frederick spat on the ground next to himself. “Tricked or not, you are no longer my niece. No niece of mine would believe a Pratt.”

He walked towards the door and paused. “I’ve arranged for a carriage. You will be sent to Scotland, to my cousin’s family. And you willstaythere for as long as it’s needed.”

He grabbed the handle and slammed the door shut, leaving Sophia alone once again. Her and the dark, now old friends.

CHAPTER 31

“Has Sophia returned?” Thomas burst through the front doors of his manor before he could see if there was anyone to answer him.

His uncle was standing in the entrance hall with his mother, their faces pale with worry.