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“You wanted to go to the park,” Penelope said, keeping her tone as calm as she could. She did not want to escalate what was already a very delicate situation. “And now you have fulfilled your wish. But tell, was this the right way to go about things? What if something had happened to you?”

Odette gestured around her, “Everything is fine, is it not? I am intact, and nothing terrible happened the moment I stepped out of the estate.”

“Yes, but was it really worth the risk?” Penelope asked. “What did you plan on doing once you were done with the park?”

Penelope glanced at the small bag that Odette was clutching in her hands, and a part of her was scared to hear the answer.

“I decided to run away,” Odette announced with a certainty that only someone her age could have about something so drastic. “If I am not allowed to have even the simplest of pleasures, then how am I meant to go on?”

“Your father…” Penelope stopped to gather her thoughts. “Well, your father would have come around to the idea eventually. But you did not even give me the time to convince him.”

“You say that only to momentarily placate me,” Odette responded instantly. “But I know how hard it is to change his mind. He only responds to action, and the only way forward is to never return.”

Penelope’s heart skipped a beat whenever Odette brought up the idea of running away. But panicking was no solution to things. Penelope had to deal with the situation diplomatically.

“Pray tell,” Penelope scooted a little closer to Odette, “What would your plan be once you did manage to run away? You do not have any earnings or means to sustain yourself on your own.”

Odette faltered for a moment, but then answered back with even more inclination. “I would have figured it out. It is better than the alternative.”

“By alternative, you mean living in a home inhabited by people who love you and care about you?” Penelope’s voice softened.

“You do not understand,” Odette shook her head.

“I can no longer do this. Father keeps such a tight hold on me about all things that I do not know how I will ever do the things I wish to do with my life. How am I meant to find a husband if I have a pair of nagging bodyguards following my every move? How am I meant to travel the world if I cannot even leave the premises of my own home?”

Penelope did not answer right away. As much as she wished to defend Alexander, she saw a part of herself in Odette’s frustration.

“You are right,” she said finally, sighing.

Odette blinked, clearly taken aback. “Do you truly mean that or is this another one of your strategies to get me to come back with you?”

“No, I understand you,” Penelope said, a little more loudly this time. “Many times I had felt the same about my own father.”

“And yet, you still ask why I wish to leave home?” Odette answered. “You, of all people, should know my plight better than anyone else.”

“Perhaps so,” Penelope nodded. She had run away on her own wedding day, which was not too different from what Odette was trying to do today. “But there is one difference.”

Odette gave her a look that clearly said she did not see the point Penelope was trying to make. Penelope continued , regardless.

“The difference here is,” Penelope said, choosing her words carefully, “that you are actually close to your father. I was never too close to him, nor did I feel that he had my best interests at heart. It is not the case with you.”

Odette opened her mouth to argue, but even she had a hard time coming up with a counter-argument .

“It does not make it any less suffocating,” she said finally.

“Be that as it may,” Penelope nodded. “But you have a loving home to return to. Your father will perhaps come to see reason with your demands, but he will never come to terms with losing you. By doing this, you are hurting him.”

Odette winced, and Penelope knew that she did not mean to harm Alexander. She was too innocent and pure-hearted to even consider such a thing.

“I do not wish to hurt him,” she sighed. “Especially now that he seems actually happy after getting married to you.”

Penelope’s eyes widened in surprise. Odette had never made such an observation before, and neither was she one to lie.

“Then do not run away,” Penelope smiled, gesturing at the small bag. “Besides, even if you choose to, you will very quickly find that you cannot survive on that for too long.”

Odette slumped her shoulders into a lukewarm agreement.

“I suppose you’re right,” she sighed. “But just because I am agreeing to come back with you does not mean I will tolerate the same circumstances as before.”

“It does not mean that in the slightest,” Penelope nodded in agreement. “If anything, I shall try even harder to convince the duke now. But you will need to be patient, as this is very new for him.”

Odette grumbled something underneath her breath, and then called Apollo to join her. Penelope stood, brushing off the dust from her skirts as Odette reluctantly followed suit.

“Shall we go, then?” Penelope asked gently, offering her hand.

“I’m only agreeing because you promised to try harder,” she muttered under her breath.

They began walking back through the park, threading a path between the trees, Penelope silently rehearsing in her mind what she would say to Alexander. She needed to be firm, persuasive; she needed him to see that a bit of freedom would not undo everything he’d built.

They had only made it halfway when a rustle from the trees caught their attention. Apollo began barking immediately, suddenly alert.

“Did you hear that?” Penelope whispered, pulling Odette slightly behind her. Her heart was racing. Something was not right.

Odette’s face paled. “We should hurry away from here. I do not feel very good.”

Penelope nodded . “Stay behind me,” she ordered as they walked, though suddenly feeling very exposed.

Only when they reached the bend in the road did a figure jump out from one of the bushes. A shriek escaped her own lips.

“Odette!” Penelope cried out, throwing herself forward as the man grabbed Odette’s arm.

“Let her go!” Penelope shouted, rushing toward them. Without thinking, she grabbed the man’s coat sleeve and tried to wrench him away.

“Stay back, lady,” the man growled, shoving Penelope with such force that she stumbled backward, her shoulder hitting the edge of the bench hard. Pain shot through her side and she gasped.

“Run, Odette!” Penelope shouted desperately, struggling to right herself, but the man only tightened his grip on Odette’s arm, dragging her back toward the trees.

All she could feel in that moment was pure panic. Whoever had attacked them was too strong for her to take on, and even Apollo could only bark from a distance.

She scrambled to her feet again. “Stop!” she screamed, running toward them, but she was too slow. Someone else had already gotten to him.

“Touch her again and I will end you.”