“Ethan, I don't have time to explain but you need to go back!” Tears filled her eyes as her emotions nearly choked her.

“You are not going to stop me from taking Elizabeth!”

“I am not trying, but you need to go back if you want to save Gretchen or Elizabeth! Now!”

“What?!” He stiffened, his face paling. “Gretchen and Elizabeth are in trouble?” It was a half whisper.

Nodding impatiently, she yanked at his arm. “You need to go, right now on horseback, if you're going to be fast enough to save them!”

“How do you know?! Why should I trust you?! In danger of what?! When...”

Juliet didn't have the time or mental stamina to explain to Ethan that she had seen Lady Henrietta Hall's carriage drive past them over twenty minutes ago. Henrietta most likely was already in the castle carrying out her evil scheme as they spoke.

Grabbing both his shoulders as fear rippled through her mind, she held his gaze, silently urging him to trust her just this once. “If you do not go back right now,” She spoke slowly,” I cannot guarantee you'll return home to the family you left behind.”

That was all it took to get Ethan racing down the stairs of the courthouse, unhitching a horse from the carriage, and racing back to the castle.

Chapter Forty Two

Lucinda McGee

Curly brown locks, big brown eyes, and a petite physique that made it easy to blend into the crowd. Or, in this case, the mansion that was the Williams' castle.

Lucinda remembered very well what it felt like growing up with a mother who lived in servitude her entire life. She never got the opportunity to spend a lot of time with her mother because, as Lucinda had learned years ago, a maid didn't own herself. A maid was subject to the needs and desires of her master. A maid wasn't allowed to need or desire anything of her own. And for this purpose, Lucinda had sworn never to be a maid.

But with no fortune to her name and no bachelor willing to climb down the social ladder just to wed her, Lucinda found herself trailing the same path her mother had trailed. All that was left was to find a sailor or a fellow servant who would wed her. And for some years, Lucinda had resigned herself to her fate —until Lady Hall.

A woman desperate for a man, and a maid desperate for her freedom, Lady Hall and Lucinda would turn out to be the best team. For a while, Lucinda had feared that Juliet would prove to be so useful to Lady Hall that Lucinda wouldn't be of any use to her any more. Thankfully, Juliet turned out to be completely useless, leaving the entire burden of destroying Gretchen's marriage on Lucinda.