Sophie almost jerked away from him but he held her tightly about the waist.
Sophie knew the layout of the building very well, having visited her father since she was a little girl. The old guard, Pascal, had been with the building for over thirty years and took his job very seriously. However, when the weather turned cold he spent much of his time reading in his little booth near the entrance. Occasionally he would take a turn about the large building and check the doors with his ancient lantern. But once his round was complete, he would return to his booth to take a much-needed nap.
Pascal knew Sophie by sight and she hoped the old guard would be at his post asleep as usual so there would be no complications.
Sebastian watched the couple turn the corner into the government building and followed them at a safe distance.
Several men were coming down the street in the opposite direction, laughing and making jokes with each other. He took the moment to move into the old building, following the footsteps of the black-cloaked couple.
As Sophie and Alain moved down a corridor, there was a man ahead of them carrying a stack of documents under his arm and muttering to himself. He held a lantern in his right hand and turned down another corridor, leaving them alone. Only the heels of their shoes could be heard on the stones as they continued through the building.
Alain produced a knife from his coat pocket and it flashed against the lantern she held. “I don’t want to use this, Sophie. But I will,” he threatened.
Sophie paled. “There’s no need for that. I am complying.”
Alain glanced at the knife but kept it in his hand. He knew very well she could scream and bring someone to her defense. She could say anything and he would be arrested. He knew the game of classes, and hers would win.
“Take me to his office,” he said coldly.
They moved together and he kept his arm around her waist while the knife remained clenched in his other hand. Sophie carried the inspector’s lantern, which he had given her when he had first arrived. His great overcoat engulfed them both as they moved along the corridors. Sebastian continued to follow them at a quiet distance.
They turned down another corridor and Sophie whispered. “Here.”
The door was locked but the inspector had come prepared. “Be on the lookout as I work the lock,” he told her as he sank onto his knees before the door.
Sophie turned back to the corridor, swinging the lantern to light the dark hallway just as Sebastian ducked behind the last turn. She turned back to light the door for Alain.
Sebastian’s mind whirled. When he had first seen the woman in the street, he had been curious and no more. Her auburn hair had been unusual and he had followed her. He was happy for his sister and friend, but he didn’t need to spend another evening hearing about the upcoming nuptials. But now that he was certain this woman was Sophie, it only raised more questions. What was she doing here and who was the man?
“Got it,” Alain said as the lock clicked open.
He pulled Sophie, inside shutting the door behind them. Sophie placed the lantern on the desk as Alain began rummaging through the office.
Sophie moved to the window and looked out into the cold night. Her father’ office overlooked a small green park and the entire world seemed asleep. She rubbed her cold hands together and blew on them.
She glanced at the inspector as he pulled a paper here and there and dragged it to the lantern for a better look. Sophie closed her eyes. She had come so far and this was not what she wanted. Now she was in her father’s office with a stranger stealing secrets because she herself had written revolutionary pamphlets.
He had warned her. She looked into the park again and touched the cold glass. Sebastian had warned her and then married her to keep her safe. And all she had done was ignore him and use him.
She heard an exclamation from behind her. She watched as the inspector placed a piece of paper inside his coat pocket.
She felt her stays cutting into her and wished she could burn all her corsets. She thought of Sebastian and all that was expected of him. She had not been surprised when she discovered his father was a sheik. Sebastian always had a way about him that set him apart from other men.
His dress and manners spoke of a man sure of himself who was destined for something grand. He would be a sheik in his own right once his father died. A sheik. It sounded so foreign and exotic.
She had read the exciting novel One Thousand and One nights, Arab stories which had been translated into French. Sebastian would be the sheik he was destined to be and she would be his Queen Scheherazade, except she would not be the expert storyteller weaving fantastic stories to avoid execution. No. She would be his wife in all forms. She would be beside him to help him rule. She would love him. She would give him heirs and they would live happily ever after.