“That is precisely why our plan is flawless. It was devised by one of their own. A man of very high influence in their army has given us the key to controlling the North River. Very soon, it will be securely in our possession. With our southern victories mounting, we’ll have the upper hand everywhere. By Christmas, Emmeline, it will all be over.”

There.

Finally.

Treasure.

A discovery that both thrilled and terrified me.

“What do you say then, my sweet?” he continued, his eyes shining brightly. “Will you be mine?”

I could do this. Just one more. Then I’d never tell another lie again. “Yes. I will.”

It was time.

At one in the morning, with the house finally settled, I lit a fresh taper and sat at my desk. It was time to finally end my life as Miss Coates.

After Duncan and I had shared our engagement with the Holdridges, we’d enjoyed an “impromptu” celebration that had included Aunt Nora’s chocolate cake, a bottle of Uncle Henry’s coveted champagne, and a spirited performance of “Heart of Oak,” sung by Charlotte, with Lucy accompanying on the pianoforte. With everyone rejoicing, I’d never felt so poisonous. And now I had to sink the knife all the way.

In moments, I’d leave to meet Sewel by the ropewalk—and never return. To escape the lies I’d wrapped around myself, I had to make a clean break and let go of everything—and devastate the people I’d come to love.

I took a clean sheet of paper from a drawer. Pulling the pocket watch chain over my head, I turned the plate in the back and removed the cipher folded inside. I weighed the edges of the crimped page down with books to keep it flat and then, using the numbers as my guide, wrote a letter by mixing up the codes and reversing numbers. My goal was to make it look right but not mean anything.

In nonsensical code, I wrote to Sewel and told him that I loathed him. That he had destroyed so much of my life, and bruised so many things, but that he hadn’t destroyed me—and that was going to be his undoing.

My fake spy message was my truth—and my battle cry.

The real spy message I had to deliver I didn’t trust to paper. I’d share it with Townsend in person.

As the ink dried, I changed into my deep indigo gown. Then I folded the paper and stuffed it down to the bottom of a white stocking. Next, I swept every single jewel in my trunk into the stocking, tying a knot at the top, and there it was. Bait and trap in one. If my plan went right, this would bring Sewel down for good.

The fat stocking nearly didn’t fit into my pouch purse, but I wedged it inside and still had a little room left to tuck in a jackknife. I replaced the cipher inside my pocket watch; then I let out a long breath and gazed around my room one final time.