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“ W ell now, ladies, how lovely it is to have two beautiful women at my mercy.”

Pushing Amelia behind her, Sophie watched as Jack Spode turned the key in the lock and put it in his pocket.

“Let Amelia go, Jack. It is me you want.”

“It is too late for that, my dear,” Jack said, nearly on top of Sophie. With lightning-quick moves, he grabbed Amelia from behind and towed her to the bed.

“No!” Sophie screamed, lunging for her friend, but Jack knocked her to the ground.

“Sophie!” Amelia cried as she struggled to get back to her feet.

“You can watch,” Jack growled, wrapping leather cuffs around Amelia’s wrists.

“Get up now, Sophie!” Amelia shrieked.

Her head spun, and she felt nausea clawing up her throat. She had to help her friend. Had to stop Jack and save Timothy. Climbing to her feet, she faced him.

“Will it be force, Jack? Is that the only way you can bed a woman? You must subdue them because you struggle to find any who are willing to share your bed?” Sophie mocked as she locked her legs to stay upright. “But then I’m not surprised considering the rumors.”

She wasn’t sure if taunting him was the wisest choice, but she was out of options. He would always win in a fight, as Sophie could not match his strength. Perhaps angering him would force him to make a mistake.

“You little bitch!” he hissed, his face flushing red with anger.

“What upsets you the most, Jack? That I won’t fall to my knees and plead with you to let me go, or that I will never be cowed by your brand of bullying?”

“I think he’s a man who cannot get a woman the normal way,” Amelia said. “He’s weak and cowardly, so no woman will have him.”

“Agreed. I never saw anyone who willingly wanted to be with him in our village,” Sophie said. “I wonder if there is something wrong”—she looked down at his groin—“down there.”

Jack’s roar was pure rage, and in seconds, he was running at her. Sophie was ready. Pulling the knife from her sling as he reached her, she held it in both hands. She watched his eyes widen as he realized what she held, but he couldn’t stop. He impaled himself on the blade.

“Bitch!” he screamed, grabbing her arms.

Sophie pushed him with all the strength she had left in her body, and he stumbled backward and hit the wall hard, then fell to the floor.

“Sophie, untie me now!” Amelia yelled.

She ran to her friend.

“Hurry, he is trying to get up!” Amelia urged her on.

Her fingers felt clumsy as she worked the cuffs loose, but she managed the first. Amelia did the second herself.

They turned together as Jack staggered back to his feet. Amelia ran at him, pushing him backward. His head hit the wall, and he seemed to crumple to the floor, motionless.

“Hurry. Before he regains consciousness, we have to leave,” she said, pulling the knife from his body. “We will put this back in your sling, Sophie.” Amelia wiped the blood off the blade on her skirt. “Come, we must leave before they find him.”

Fighting the need to give in to the roiling in her belly, Sophie bent to search Jack’s pocket for the keys. Pulling them out, she handed them to Amelia.

“Don’t look at him. We must think only about escaping now,” Amelia said.

“Yes,” Sophie whispered, dragging her eyes from Jack’s still body.

“He’s breathing, and rodent that he is, he will probably live. Now come.”

There was no guard outside the door, so Amelia led Sophie to the stairs. It was still dark, and because of the trees that surrounded the house, there was no moonlight to lead the way. Hearts thudding, they walked quietly back down the steps.

The journey seemed to take forever, but finally they reached the bottom. Amelia headed for the front door. The wood was heavy and creaked on its rusty hinges with every inch it moved. With the help of Sophie’s good arm, between them, they opened it wide enough to slip through.

Quietly, they walked out the door and closed it behind them.

“Stables,” Sophie whispered. “They have to be here somewhere.”

Running around the house, they found a path. The night sky was black, almost as if a cloak had been cast from the heavens to blanket the earth in darkness. It provided them with cover but made it treacherous underfoot.

“If it rains, I am going to scream,” Amelia growled as she cast a quelling glance skyward. “I’m sure I just felt a drop on my nose.”

Sophie’s attempt at a laugh was more of a snuffle.

“What?” Amelia whispered into her ear.

“You’re worried about getting wet after what we just escaped from?”

Amelia giggled, then clapped a hand over her mouth as it threatened to erupt into hysteria.

They smelled the stables before they saw them. A mix of hay, manure, and animal scents filled the air. Tiptoeing inside, Sophie hoped no one was awake and on guard. The sound of snores coming from one stall told them someone was sleeping nearby.

Placing a finger to her lips, she pointed to a stall, and Amelia went to look inside. Sophie grabbed the bridle hanging on a peg. Hurrying to the stall, she looked inside, too, and found her friend and a large horse. She handed over the bridle.

Minutes later, they were leading the animal out of the stables slowly. The snoring thankfully didn’t stop. Reaching the driveway, Amelia halted.

“Help me up,” she said, sticking out her leg. Sophie did as she asked. “Now your turn.” She held out her hand and stuck out her foot.

Taking her arm out of the sling, Sophie maneuvered herself onto the back of the horse with a lot of pulling from Amelia. She then clamped her arms around her waist.

Walking as quietly as they could down the drive, they reached the bottom. Sophie looked at the sign again, and this time made out one of the words. Barton. Amelia then turned onto the road. Seconds later, they were galloping to freedom.