Chapter 152

The hour was late. The clock in the entryway chimed eerily in the silence. Rosalind replayed the hurtful words she'd heard Ashton and Charles say, her mind still reeling with the revelation of Ashton's betrayal. It was time to leave and return to London. She'd find a way to get her life back from Ashton's ironclad control some other way. There was no chance she would marry him now, the damned awful man.

Rosalind came down the main stairs, intending to fetch a glass of water from the kitchens without disturbing Claire, and suddenly froze when she heard cloth rustle. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Someone was watching her. Doing her best to act unaware of the hidden eyes of servants, she started walking toward the servants' quarters to find Claire. The rustling of clothes was her only warning she wasn't alone.

Someone grabbed her from behind, covering her mouth tightly and lifting her by the waist off the ground. She struggled, trying to kick out, but when the man star