Free Ducal Encounters 02 - With the Duke's Approval by Wendy Soliman

that now flexed alarming beneath her weight. At the third attempt, she collided with considerable force against the frosty trunk of the tree, hitting her head on the branch above her, and sending snow cascading into her hair and knocking the air from her lungs. She ignored the cold ice that trickled down her neck and hugged the trunk with both arms, struggling to regain her breath. She felt mildly euphoric to have got that far. Now all she had to do was climb down the branches until she reached solid ground.
    Gulping, Anna lost no time in doing precisely that. She was awkward, chilled to the bone, and her feet slipped on every branch. Her shins were bashed and bruised, as were her hands, but she ignored the discomfort and concentrated on reaching the ground. Anything was better than being contained in that small room with no light, no heat, and no prospect of being released. If those brutes wanted to kill her, they would have to catch her first.
    Her fingers were so cold that by the time she was six feet from the ground, she simply couldn’t hold on anymore. She slithered, almost gracefully, to the ground, rolling into a ball to break her fall. She cried out when she jolted her shoulder and her cheek fell against a drift of icy snow. Winded, she slowly sat up and took stock of her situation. All of her limbs still appeared to be in working order. Her shoulder hurt and pain ricocheted through her when she tried to move it. But apart from that, she did appear to be in one piece.
    Anna scrabbled to her feet, aware that every second could be vital. Dampness seeped into her feet, which was when she realised she had gone from bad to worse. Unless she could find shelter quickly, she would freeze to death. It had to be the coldest night in living memory, and she didn’t even have any shoes. She pulled the threadbare blanket over her head and held it close around her body. Then she walked. She needed to head west, away from the river, towards the better part of town. The only difficulty was, she was unsure in which direction west actually was.
    Leaving the river behind her, she moved forward with weary determination, trusting her instincts to guide her. Daylight was just beginning to break, but the sky was no longer clear, a fresh bank of thick cloud having rolled in. More snow was on the way. The sun struggled to break through on the horizon. The sun rose in the east, did it not, which implied she was going the right way. Buoyed by this small achievement, she walked in the lea of the tall warehouses, taking advantage of the protection from the biting wind offered by the buildings. Even so, her feet were already frozen, the rest of her barely less so. She felt light-headed, nauseous, and utterly exhausted. She thought of home, of roaring fires, hot toast, Lord Romsey’s compelling eyes, and forced herself to keep moving.
    Anna noticed shadows moving in doorways and realised, with a start, they were people, actually trying to sleep in these atrocious conditions. Dear God, and she thought things were bad for her. She wanted to talk to them, ask where she was and if they could help her. But she did not dare. They would never believe she was in a position to help them in return. She had worn a delicate seed pearl necklace to the ball. Astonishingly she still had it on and that alone would be enough to get her killed in this district.
    And so she keep moving, eyes downcast, startled by every unfamiliar sound, noise, and smell. Ignoring them as best she could, she hoped against hope she would be mistaken for a person who lived on the streets rather than one worth accosting. A claw-like hand reached out to grab her at one point. She shrieked and pulled herself free. Cackling laughter echoed in her wake as she rushed awkwardly down the street, distancing herself from her accoster.
    It felt as though she had been walking forever, although it could not have been above ten minutes. Even so, she was terrified, frozen to the marrow, and