Page 117 of The Bachelor Spy
“Lord Astley,” Wilson scratched out the name, her voice breaking. “It wasn’t me.”
Wasn’t her? Good heavens, did the woman think he suspected her?
“Of course not, Nurse Wilson,” Frederick offered softly and took a seat across from her.
“I saw her placing something in my medical bag. German documents. I could read them, of course, and I realized she must be …” She swallowed hard. “A spy, sir. She’s been watching me for weeks. She must have been framing me too. She knew about my German family, knew I’d be suspected—”
“We know,” Frederick said, leaning closer so he could see her properly through his dark glasses. The poor woman was trembling. “Did Rivers tell you anything? Give you any clue to her plans?”
Wilson furrowed her brow, clearly trying to remember. “I … I can’t recall, sir. She said something about ‘the distraction being in place,’ but”—her voice wavered—”I’m sorry, I can’t remember more.”
“Don’t distress yourself. You’ve done nothing wrong, Nurse Wilson.” Frederick turned toward Brandon. “Anything more discovered about Pennington’s whereabouts? Smith’s?”
Before Brandon could answer, a broken cry echoed from just beyond the door.
“Papa!”
The frantic call chilled Frederick’s soul.
He spun toward the sound, his impaired vision be hanged, as running feet joined his daughter’s desperate cries. He reached the corridor, eyes adjusting from one light shade to another, just as Zahra burst around the corner, wild-eyed, sobbing, her dark hair flying loose.
“Zahra!” Frederick dropped to one knee, reaching for her. “What is it? What’s happened?”
“Mama!” The word came out as a sob as she crashed into him. “A man took Mama!”
Air drained from his lungs.
They’d lived this moment before. Years ago. In Cairo. Zahra running to him with the same terrifying news.
His fists tightened against Zahra’s back.
But this wasn’t Cairo. This was Havensbrooke. His home. And he knew his surroundings.
Blind or not.
Frederick’s hands found Zahra’s trembling shoulders. “Tell me everything.”
“In the garden!” The words tumbled out in a rush. “A man in the blue coat—”
Blue coat? Ah, the patient’s uniform.
“He was bleeding and had wild eyes.”
Dear Lord.
“Mama traded. Me for her.”
Frederick’s chest constricted so tightly he could barely breathe. Of course Grace had traded herself. Of course she’d thrown herself between danger and their daughter without a second thought.
That was who she was. Who she’d always been.
Brave and reckless and impossibly, devastatingly selfless.
“He … he wanted the key, and Mama said if he let me go, she would help him find his treasure.” Zahra’s voice dropped to a terrified whisper. “He said if anyone calls the police, he’ll hurt her.”
And now she was in the hands of a desperate man, heading into unstable tunnels that had been sealed for decades. Pregnant. Carrying his child.
He never should have left her.
