“Perhaps you do, if you have been watching me for so long. But I do not know anything about you. Tell me a bit about yourself. Let me get to know you.”
He shook his head again. “I don’t think so. You cannot put off the inevitable forever, my dear. I will have you. And I will have you now.”
Sophie braced herself. No matter what happened, she had to stay alive.
“Could I at least see your face? Don’t you think I have the right to see the face of the man who is claiming my body?”
He nodded. “I suppose I can give you that much. After all, you will know soon enough who I am.”
He removed his mask, and Sophie gasped.
* * *
The maid came bustling back to Zach.
“Where is she?” Zach demanded.
“I’m afraid I don’t know, sir. Mr. Graves has taken ill and has taken to his chamber. That is all I could find out so far. I have alerted the master, and he is on his way to speak to you.”
The Earl of Brighton entered the foyer a few seconds later. “Newland,” he said, “you say you’re looking for Sophie? I’m sorry, but I’ve forbidden her to go to rehearsal until we find out who’s been sending her those notes.”
Zach stiffened. “She got another note?”
“Yes. Two, actually. Haven’t the constables informed you? They think whoever made an attempt on your life might be the same person who’s been writing notes to Sophie.”
Zach shook his head. “No one has told me anything like that. I thought Mr. Bertram had been incarcerated.”
“He was. Still is. But we’re no longer sure he is the perpetrator. Seems he might be innocent as he claims.”
Zach’s mind whirled, his head beginning to ache. “No one told me any of this.”
“Blake probably didn’t want you worrying while you were trying to recover,” Brighton said.
“Yes, maybe.” Zach rubbed his temples. “If you please, my lord, I must speak to Sophie.”
“Of course. I’ll have her maid wake her. I hope you don’t mind waiting.”
“Not at all.” Zach sat down on the settee in the foyer.
“Don’t be absurd, Newland. Go wait in the parlor.”
Zach nodded, strode into the parlor, and took a seat on the divan. Little elves hammered inside his brain. Sophie. Everything would be fine when he saw Sophie. A quarter of an hour passed before Brighton entered the parlor, the lines on his forehead creased.
“Newland,” he said, gulping, “Sophie is…missing.”
“What?” Zach shot up from the divan, perspiration beading on his forehead. “Where the devil is she?”
“Her maid says she’s not in her chamber, and her bed hasn’t been slept in.” Brighton raked his fingers through his ample silver hair. “Iris is beside herself.”
All those shadows Zach had imagined…all those eyes watching him… His veins turned icy. “We’ve got to find her.”
The earl nodded. “I will find her. I must, for Iris.”
“I’m going with you.”
“Newland, you’re recovering from a head injury. It’s not wise—”
“For God’s sake, Brighton, I’m in love with that woman.” Zach started to sway on his feet a bit. He needed to keep a level head. “I will go with you.”