Page 58 of Seducing the Knave

Max had said she was free to leave the house any time, but she feared another encounter with Jasper. Though she had no idea how he could possibly track her down to a converted warehouse in St. Giles, she hadn’t thought he’d so easily intervene at the Gilchrists’ either. The man was clearly very determined and more resourceful than she’d given him credit for. Until she found a way to thwart him indefinitely, she feared giving him another chance to take her freedom and then her life.

As yet another solitary, unproductive day slid slowly by, Elle’s anxious pacing about the room grew more and more agitated. And eventually, her long strides brought her closer and closer to the double doors, until she finally just gave up and stopped in front of them.

She stood there for a while, staring at the heavy, imposing wood, straining to hear something—anything—of what might be occurring beyond them.

But silence reigned.

Perhaps there was nothing beyond those doors at all and Max had instated the rule as a simple means of limiting her freedom. Adding to her already burgeoning sense of captivity, the thought was infuriating.

And wouldn’t it be just like him to do such a thing?

What could possibly be beyond those doors that she was forbidden to even cross the threshold?

If she decided to take just a peek, would anyone even know of the transgression? It wasn’t as though she’d run into Max. The man left before dawn each day and returned near midnight each night, smelling of the soot and smog of the city. No doubt it’d be the same tonight. And tomorrow. And the day after that.

But if she stayed another moment in this room, she’d likely go as mad as Jasper had claimed her to be.

She would be no one’s prisoner, even if her current cage was partly of her own making. A reckless impulse surged within her and she reached for the handle of one door to pull it open a bare inch.

Then she held her breath. Waiting. For a shout or a boom or some other dire consequence. When nothing was forthcoming, she pulled the door open a bit wider.

Though it was more symbolic than significant, that small act of rebellion finally made her feel as though she had some control over her life again and she stepped into the threshold to peer into a dim-lit hallway. It was about as wide as the two doors but short and explained the yawning darkness she’d always glimpsed whenever Langworth passed into the room. And at the far end of the corridor was another door, standing on its own.

With her curiosity piqued and courage at a high, Elle stepped purposefully forward.

Reaching the opposite door, she paused to listen for any indication of danger lying on the other side.

All was quiet.

No point in stopping now.

With a full breath, she opened the door and walked through to the top landing of the grand staircase she’d first seen on her arrival.

A frown tugged at her brow as she realized that this staircase led to Max’s room just as easily as the narrow spiral one did. Yet, she’d been quite intentionally led up the other.

The opposite end of the landing opened to a wood-paneled hallway with several doors lining both sides. Stepping up to the railing of the stairs, she looked down to see that she was on a third level with another landing below her and the main entry hall below that.

Though she could hear the faint sounds of movement and muffled voices coming from the floors below, this third level was almost eerily quiet, which made it the best option for undetected exploration.

Elle had just a brief pang of uncertainty as she crossed the landing. But honestly, she’d gone this far...what point would there be in leaving the bedroom if she was just going to stop now?

The first door was open to what appeared to be a masculine sitting room until she saw the billiard table and a bar—not unlike what one would find in a tavern but smaller. Gratefully, the room was unoccupied, and though she was tempted to assess the room further, she decided to continue on. The next three doors she passed were closed, and though she felt quite daring in her little exploration, she wasn’t bold enough to open any more closed doors just yet.

But as she approached the final door at the end of the hallway, something brought her to a swift halt.

It sounded like a man’s cry of pain. Or fear. Or perhaps both.

The sound sent a chill down her spine. Until she heard the distinct sound of a fist hitting flesh—something she’d become rather familiar with since meeting Max—followed by a faint whimper.

Her heart raced and she felt frozen in place.

The sounds were coming from beyond the door. A door she stood right in front of as it suddenly opened to reveal Max in his shirtsleeves rolled up to his elbows, using a handkerchief to wipe blood off his knuckles. Behind him was a large desk and on the floor in front of that desk was a man of indeterminate age—due to the swelling and discoloration on his face—lying unconscious with more blood dripping from his mouth and nose onto the fine rug beneath him.

When Max saw her standing there in the hallway, stunned and unmoving, his expression darkened with a cloud of emotion that was heavier and more intense than anything she’d witnessed in him before. His flinty gaze flared with undeniable violence. He pinned her with a stare that made her suddenly regret ever having even looked at those twice-damned double doors.

She took a hasty step back but the action only seemed to aggravate him further.

A harsh growling sound issued from his throat as he tossed the bloody handkerchief aside and muttered a quick instruction. “See to the mess.”

---