The Heart That Wins (Regency Spies Book 3) Read Free

pleasure to meet you at last.”
    Franz Schröder was a Prussian spy known as the Dutchman. Edmund had told her and Mary tales of some of his exploits.
    Herr Schröder smiled, his eyes never leaving her face, as if to measure the smile’s effect on her. Sophia did not return the smile. He was attractive, certainly, but she was entirely unmoved. His smile faded; Sophia had won a victory of some kind. She was not even sure why there should have been a battle.
    “If you reported to John Warren before you came here, I must assume that you have bad news.”
    Edmund motioned for her to sit. Reflecting again on the state of her clothes, she remained standing. She turned slightly so that he could see the extent of the mud. His lips curved up a little and he and Herr Schröder remained standing. She had never managed to convince Edmund that she would not be offended if he sat while she stood. John had always been easy enough in her company to do so, until today. Noticing that they were looking at her, she struggled to remember why.
    “Bad news” prompted Edmund.
    “You were right. I can only be a few days ahead of Bonaparte.”
    Edmund put his arm around his wife’s waist and Mary placed her hand over his. The gesture made Sophia’s heart lurch with a sense of loss.
    “Everything is ready,” said Edmund. “We will leave tomorrow.”
    Now Sophia looked at Mary properly for the first time. She was clearly pregnant.
    “Don’t worry, Sophia, I am strong enough to travel,” said Mary.
    “I know. I recall other journeys when you were in this condition.” Sophia smiled. “I have asked John to come here tonight,” she continued. “He didn’t believe that Bonaparte could become emperor again. I knew the two of you could persuade him.”
    “I don’t think that will help,” said Edmund. “I’ll go to him now.”
    Sophia was surprised, then she remembered Edmund’s friendship with John’s family. Although not close to John himself, Edmund was close to Lady Caroline, John’s mother, as well as Lord Meldon, John’s uncle.
    “He believed me and went to tell the acting ambassador,” she said.
    “I owe it to his mother to make sure he leaves in time,” said Edmund.
    It had not occurred to Sophia that John might not want to leave, but he had a strong sense of duty. It would be like him to put the needs of others above his own.
    “Please make him see that he must leave,” she said.
    There was no need for her to hide her feelings from Edmund and Mary. Herr Schröder would have to make of them what he would.
    “He’s not a boy any more, but I will convince him,” said Edmund.
    Sophia was satisfied. Edmund could be persuasive when he chose.
    “I must bathe and put on some clothes that don’t make me look like a boy,” she said.
    “I do not think you could look like a boy whatever you wore,” said Herr Schröder. He looked at her appreciatively and Sophia smiled despite herself. In all the tales about the tall Prussian Edmund had told, he had never mentioned how handsome his colleague was. The man was about thirty, fashionably dressed, despite his dark hair being cut unfashionably short. He had a scar about three inches long on his left cheek that Sophia knew was the result of a fight with a French officer who had tried to stop him setting sail from the Low Countries with some French refugees. It did nothing to detract from his beauty, but rather made him seem mysterious and remote. His accent was heavy and she guessed he must usually speak German with Mary and Edmund, who were both fluent in that language.
    “You are kind,” she said.
    “I think, Miss Arbuthnot, that I shall always speak kindly to you.”
    Sophia blushed and was grateful for the dirt on her face, as she had no intention of encouraging him.
    “Sophia, please, for it seems we are all friends here.”
    She regretted the words as soon as they were spoken. It was true that Edmund and Mary kept an informal house, but on a day when even John had called