Alex shook his head. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“Yes. I do care about people, you know, and I want to do some good with my life.”
Who was this woman? “You can worry about saving the world once we save ourselves.”
“But Alex—” She turned, looking beseechingly back at the room Marie had entered.
Alex raked his hair. “Fine.” Anything to be on their way. “I’ll write to Madame Loinger and have Marie smuggled over after you get back.”
“Oh, yes!” Lucia smiled broadly. “But won’t Sophie be reluctant to send her away?”
“Not for the right price,” he mumbled, but Lucia heard him. “Oh, but I don’t want to buy her!”
“Lucia.” He shut his eyes, struggling for control. “We can discuss the details later, but only if we’re still alive. Let’s go.”
She gave one last look down the hallway, then he grasped her hand and pulled her down the stairs. At the bottom, he planned to dash into the kitchen, then out the servants’ door to the waiting carriage. He was on the second to last step when the sound of voices floated toward him. Alex froze. He turned to face Lucia, who was teetering on the step above him.
“It’s one of De´charne´’s cronies and Louise.”
Her eyes went wild, and she whirled, obviously intending to run back upstairs. Before she had the chance, he snatched her arm and pushed her roughly against the wall. “There’s no time.” He pulled the sleeve of her gown off her shoulder, raised the hem to her thigh, and began kissing her. His back was to the approaching couple, and he stationed one of his arms to shield Lucia’s face from view. With his other, he made a show of caressing her leg.
“What are you doing?” she gasped as he hiked her dress up further.
“Breathe hard and moan. Act like you’re enjoying this,” he said, then thrust his mouth over hers. Lucia moaned, somewhat convincingly, then ran her hands down his back.
“What’s this?” Alex heard De´charne´’s man say. “A free show?”
Louise laughed. “I have something better to show you upstairs. That’s just Jeanette.”
Alex heard the stairs creak as Louise and the man started up the stairs. Lucia clutched Alex tighter. Her body was shaking with fear. He squeezed her thigh and whispered, “Moan.”
Her moan came out as a whimper, and Alex groaned to cover it.
“Jeanette has no class,” Louise remarked, squeezing past them. “Madame will be furious when she hears of this.”
Louise shoved by, and Alex pushed Lucia against the wall to make room for her partner, but the man didn’t follow.
“There’s something familiar about that girl,” he said, his voice near enough to indicate he hadn’t moved on.
Lucia jumped and tried to break away, but Alex held her in place. Pressed against her, he could hear her heart thudding almost as loud as his own.
“Jeanette,” the man said in a voice Alex assumed was intended to sound seductive. Alex tensed. He knew it was over. Slowly he pulled away from Lucia and looked directly into her eyes. Trust me, he said wordlessly.
She nodded. He lowered his arm and turned. The recognition in the man’s eyes was instant, and Alex knew him, too. Lucia remembered that De´charne´ had called him Pierre. Pierre’s seductive smile faded, and he reached for his pistol.
Alex’s fist shot out and smashed into Pierre’s face, sending him reeling down the steps. Alex jumped down, pulled Pierre up by his coat, then yanked the thug through the kitchen door.
LUCIA STARED AT THE kitchen door where Alex and De´charne´’s man had disappeared. There was a loud crash, and both she and Louise squealed. Louise had pressed herself against the wall next to Lucia, but now she was pointing frantically down the hallway. Lucia turned and saw two soldiers rushing toward them. With a cry, Lucia flew down the steps and into the kitchen.
She skidded to a stop, almost toppling over Pierre, who was sprawled on the floor. Alex was above him, his raised fist red with blood.
“There’s two more coming!” she shouted just as the soldiers burst through the door. She didn’t have time to move out of the way, and the door knocked her back against the wall.
She blinked rapidly as pain slashed through her skull. When she focused again, Alex was brandishing a large skillet at the soldiers. Lucia would have laughed if she wasn’t certain she was about to die. The soldiers reached for their pistols, and with a roar, Alex rushed them. He hit the soldier closer to him hard in the jaw, sending the man reeling.
The second managed better, punching Alex in the stomach. He doubled over, and Lucia squealed when the soldier raised his pistol and hit Alex on the back of the head. Alex’s body buckled, then he collapsed on his knees.
Unexpectedly he shot up, swinging the skillet and shoving the soldier into the wall next to Lucia. The man dropped his gun, unconscious. The other soldier crawled to his knees, but Alex kicked him in the jaw, sending him flying backward. Lucia winced as blood spattered across her skirts.
