The sight of Duke Thorne's men surrounding my home made my skin crawl. They were everywhere—posted at every gate, every possible exit, watching with hawk-like vigilance. There would be no easy escape.
I paced across my bedroom floor, mind racing. "Jasper, how much time do we have before Clara arrives?" I asked, glancing at the small clock on my mantel.
"The messenger should reach her by nightfall, my lady," he replied, standing stiffly by the door. "If she leaves immediately, she could be here before midnight."
"That's not soon enough," I muttered, pulling open drawers and mentally cataloging what essentials we could take. "We need to be gone before she arrives. We'll have to meet her somewhere else."
Jasper frowned. "The Duke's men are everywhere. How do you propose we leave?"
I turned to face him, my mind already formulating a plan. "We'll need a distraction. And decoys."
"Decoys?" Jasper's eyebrows lifted slightly.
