As she stared, mouth open, he swept into view, beautifully dressed in black and gold, hair clean and shining, rings on his fingers. Never had she been so glad to see so much gold.

“I won’t need long,” he told the guards as they locked the door behind him and skulked away down the corridor.

Shaking her head, she almost laughed. This was—had to be part of some ploy of his. He was going to spring her out.

“Bloody hells, Fitz, you have some interesting timing.” Scoffing now the guards were out of earshot, she rubbed her face, whole body sagging. “For a second then, I thought I really was for it. I’ve got to give it to you, I can’t work out what scheme you’ve concocted. I’m just glad it involves getting me out of here and, I assume, a large sum of money.” Grinning up at him, she held out her wrists.

Hazel eyes trailing to her bindings, he smiled softly. “Oh, my dear Vice. You’re partially right.”

Shrugging, she huffed. “Well, just a small sum of money will do.”

“Oh no.” Eyes glinting, he shook his head. “No, this involves a very large sum, indeed. Lots of noughts. But I’m afraid you won’t see any of it.” His head cocked, and his gaze drifted up. “Well, I suppose you might see me ride past your gibbet in my shiny new carriage. Because, just to be clear, my scheme doesn’t involve getting you out of here.”

Her body had forgotten how to work. Her grin was frozen in place, and her eyes just stared at him. She couldn’t even feel her heart beating heavily as it had in court, and it was only the fact she was standing that said her muscles and lungs still functioned.

She prized her teeth apart, swallowed, worked her tongue around her mouth. Gulping a long breath, she blinked. “What?”

“Oh, my lovely.” Shaking his head, he approached, boots scuffing softly on the stone floor until he was only half a foot away, the front of his splendid coat brushing the backs of her fingers. “My dearest, most darling creature.” He rubbed a lock of her hair between his thumb and fingertips, gaze on it like he was examining fine silk at the market. “You still don’t understand, do you?”

Eyebrows raised, he looked at her face, eyes drifting over every feature slowly. “This was all part of the plan. Sorry, I should clarify—my plan. Bricus helped me make an offer to the Navy. We get pardons, land, and that large sum of money I mentioned and in exchange, they get you. When Blackwood came aboard and gave us the Queen’s regards, that was the code to say the Navy and Crown had accepted our offer.”