Mysterious Seduction

XXXIV. The First Strategy

Bryon was face to face with the very people he considered friends.

Only now they were not facing each other across a gaming table.

He was on a stand while they were on the other side of the room, waiting for him to be judged.

If the League was waiting for the perfect time to save him, it had long passed.

He was simply a pawn they could not save, for if they did, the entire League might be in jeopardy.

Today was his last day in the Courts.

He would finally be judged.

-Above and Below

*****

Her heart hammered against her chest as her mind tried to find a good enough reason why she was in her breeches, untethering her horse in the middle of the night.

But this was Maxwell she was facing.

No one could lie to Maxwell, no matter how convincing they were.

Her brother's long hair curtained the sides of his unreadable face as he pushed away from the wall.

"How did your meeting with Samuel go?" he nonchalantly asked, walking over to her horse, caressing its mane with one hand whilst his eyes were fixed on Emma.

"As expected," she replied matter-of-factly. "As you may already guess, the engagement is off."

Maxwell's face did not even change, not an inch of a frown or a sign of anything. Nothing. He simply looked at her as thoughtful as always.

Emma sighed. "I confronted him with the things he neglected to share with us."

Her brother's brows rose. "Such us?"

"Why he never told any of us that Wynne saved him."

Maxwell slowly nodded, quietly accepting the information.

"Mayhap you must also know that Wynne saved the girls from the fire that night. He must have realized what his family was planning and arrived just in time."

Again, Maxwell merely nodded.

Emma was starting to lose all hope. If she could not convince Maxwell, who else on their right mind would ever consider Wynne innocent?

"And he was beaten by his own family after he was taken from the Everard manor. I believe as punishment for intruding with their plans."

Maxwell nodded.

Emma was getting frustrated. Could she at least convince her brother to allow her to leave?

But she had to wait. She had to be very careful with her next words.

"And when will you get to the point where you tell me you are going against the odds for the man, Emma?"

Emma's eyes rounded. Panic was the first to rise, but she immediately cleared her throat to say, "Well, I was waiting for the perfect timing."

Maxwell blinked. "It is not wise to be with the man."

"Max, I am yet to find out. You cannot tell me so," she said, lifting her chin.

Maxwell started shaking his head.

"What would you have done if Maxine was with the Trilbys when you realized you were in love with her?" she asked.