Page 30 of Stolen By the Heartless Duke
The duke did not respond immediately. The tension between them shifted again. Jane held her ground.
Finally, he said, “You will do as I say when danger is involved.”
It was not phrased as a request. Jane hesitated only a moment before nodding. “Agreed.”
His gaze remained on her for a second longer than necessary, as if confirming she meant it. He said, “And you will not act independently in situations you do not understand.”
Jane’s lips pressed together. “I understand more than you think.”
“That is what worries me,” he said flatly.
Jane let out a breath, then nodded once. “Fine.”
The duke’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Fine?”
“I will do as you say when danger is involved,” she clarified. “And I will not act recklessly without informing you. Happy?”
He did not answer the question. Instead, he said, “You can send messages to me through your maid. Is she trustworthy?”
Jane nodded. “Anna is discreet.”
At the mention of a name, the duke’s gaze flickered briefly; an acknowledgment of logistics, rather than trust.
“She will pass notes,” Jane continued. “Anything you find. Anything I find.”
Then the duke said, “I will send instructions to my staff.”
Jane nodded once. “And when you are ready for the next step, you will contact me.”
His gaze sharpened slightly. “You are giving instructions now?”
“I am establishing structure,” she corrected.
The corner of his mouth twitched, barely there, but unmistakable. “Very well,” he said.
Jane exhaled slightly, as if she had just won a point she had not expected to win. “And it will be less noticeable if you trail behind me.”
The duke blinked once. “Excuse me?”
“In a carriage,” she clarified quickly. “Not walking behind me like some sort of escort. That would be worse. If I leave first, and you follow at a distance, no one will associate us.”
“That is your solution,” he said slowly.
“It is a logical one.”
He studied her for a moment longer. “It is unconventional.”
“So are you,” she replied immediately.
That earned another pause. This time, the duke did not argue. Instead, after a long moment, he gave a single, reluctant nod. “Very well,” he said. “Carriage at a distance.”
Jane exhaled, satisfied in spite of herself. “Good.”
Without waiting for further objection, she turned away from him.
The decision, once made, felt strangely stabilizing, as if structure had been imposed on chaos. She returned to where she had left her horse.
The animal shifted slightly as she approached, sensing her tension. Jane stroked its neck briefly, grounding herself in something physical, something simple.
