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W hen Patrick returned, she was standing beside the bed, looking lost and defeated. Like the effort of running through London had cost her everything, and she had nothing left.

“We will find him, Sophie.”

“Is he all right? I’ve never been away from him, and he’ll be scared.”

“You said his nanny is with him, so she will keep him safe until we find him,” he said, moving closer. “Trust me to do this.” He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight again.

“Why aren’t you angry with me?” She spoke the words into his shoulder.

“We will deal with the rest later. Let’s go.” He took her hand and led her from the room.

They reached his study to find Stephen had also dressed. Bidders sat at his feet, watching Doddy, who was wandering around the room, sniffing things. He stopped when they entered and came straight to Sophie.

Fletcher was also there with a tea tray.

“Please accept my apologies,” Sophie said to his butler. “I am afraid I had no other choice but to force my way into Lord Coulter’s house,” Sophie said.

“This is the Countess of Monmouth, Fletcher,” Patrick added. “She is in desperate need of my assistance and could not wait until morning. I have no wish for anyone to know she is in my home alone at such an hour.”

“Of course, my lord.” Fletcher bowed and left the room.

“He is the soul of discretion,” Stephen said, smiling gently at Sophie.

“Tell him your story,” Patrick said, nudging her to a seat. Doddy sat and leaned on her legs. “I would trust him with my life. Plus, I would break all his limbs if he said a word of what you are about to tell him to anyone,” he added and was pleased to see her smile.

“You could try,” Stephen said.

“Tell him your story, Sophie,” Patrick said. He poured her tea and added some whisky and then handed it to her. He took the glass Stephen handed him and then the seat next to her, while his friend sat across from them.

She told Stephen everything, stopping occasionally to sip the tea he’d handed her. After the first cough and glance his way, she continued to drink until the cup was empty.

As her story stumbled to a halt, Patrick listened while Stephen questioned her.

He had no censure in his eyes, only genuine interest in Sophie’s plight, and for that Patrick was thankful.

He knew, however, that if word got out, not everyone in society would be as forgiving.

A servant masquerading as a countess, even if she was a real one, would not sit well with many of their peers.

“Now tell us about this man you suspect of kidnapping your brother, Sophie. Jack Spode,” Patrick said.

“He is a horrible man.” Her knuckles whitened as they clenched around her cup.

“We will find him, I promise,” Patrick added gently.

“Tell us about him, Sophie,” Stephen said.

“He was someone from my village, a man my father had worked for over the years when he needed a few extra men on any of his jobs,” Sophie said, shooting both Stephen and Patrick a nervous look.

“He left my village, in his words, to make it big, and when he returned, he appeared to have done that, as he seemed to have lots of money. But it was not long before he started causing trouble with the locals and threatening people if they didn’t do what he wanted.

My father liked him because he was the same sort of man. ”

Patrick felt his anger burn that she’d known fear from her father and this Jack Spode. He could not seek retribution on one, but the other would feel his wrath.

“Why would he have taken Timmy, Sophie?” Patrick asked.

“I was to be his woman,” Sophie said. “Jack started coming to my house. He said it was to talk to my father, but I soon knew differently.” Sophie shuddered. “He had a bad reputation with women too. There were stories of him hurting them, but no one was brave enough to confront him about it.”

Jack Spode would pay for that look on her face; he’d make sure of it.

“My mother sent me away to Monmouth as soon as a position came available. She realized Jack’s intentions toward me were not honorable and knew what my fate would be if he got his wish.

He wasn’t pleased when he found out,” Sophie added.

“Even though Monmouth was a short distance from my home, I could only visit my family once a month.”

“Sip this.” Patrick held out his whisky. She took it and drank, coughing after a mouthful.

“I said sip.”

Her next mouthful went down better.

“It was on one of my last visits that Jack called to the house,” Sophie continued.

“I hadn’t realized how ill my parents had become, but when I arrived, I could see that they were not likely to survive.

He arrived after I’d finished cleaning the house and feeding them some broth I’d brought from Monmouth. ”

“You are safe,” Patrick said as her voice rose.

“He told me my father owed him a lot of money, and for me to clear that debt, I would do exactly as he wanted. From that day onward I was to be his woman.”

“I’ll kill him,” Patrick growled.

“No! He is a dangerous man.” Her hands gripped his. “You can never go near him.”

“He’s a dangerous man,” Stephen said, drawing Sophie’s eyes back to him. “Have no fear that this Jack Spode is any match for Patrick.”

Her eyes turned back to him, and he saw the doubt, but she didn’t voice her concerns.

“My father was incoherent with fever, but I asked him anyway to tell me if this was true. He opened his eyes long enough to tell me it was, and that he was sorry.”

Patrick handed her his handkerchief, and she gripped it with both hands but did not use it to wipe her tears.

“Tell us the rest,” Patrick said. “All of it.”

She exhaled slowly and then finished her story. “After Jack had gone, I stayed with my parents until they passed the following morning. Then I went back to Monmouth and Timmy. Letty and the staff had cared for him for me.”

“I’ve always liked Lady Carstairs,” Stephen said.

Sophie nodded. “She is wonderful.”

“Tell us what he did,” Patrick told her.

“Jack was waiting for me as I walked into Monmouth one day. He grabbed me and threw me to the ground. I-I fought him, and just when I thought it was over and that he would do what he wished with me, I found a rock and hit him with it.”

“Good girl,” Patrick said. “What did you do then?” He fought the rage that flowed through his veins. She needed him to be in control.

“I ran back to Monmouth. A note from Jack arrived two days later, and it said I would pay for what I had done to him. But now it is Timmy and Mary who are paying,” she whispered.

“We will find him, Sophie,” Stephen said as Patrick moved away from her to sit behind his desk. Pulling out paper, he started writing notes. Contacts, he had plenty of those, and right now he was reaching out to them.

He would find this Jack Spode, and then he would pay for scaring her. That she was important to Patrick had become clearer tonight. He would get her brother back, and then they would speak of the future… their future.