"Good morning Miss King," Lewis said as he helped me into Maxwell's carriage, gracing me with a timid smile. "To Waterloo station, ma'am?"

I nodded. "Yes, please. Thank you."

He closed the door and climbed aboard. With a crack of the whip, the carriage began to move sluggishly through the early morning streets, giving me the awful gift of time to think about what I'd done.

After our stage performance, Maxwell took us to his private room backstage. There, with his head between my legs drinking in Jacob's remains, he allowed himself to be taken. I watch Jacob as he scowled, amazed by how powerful he looked making love to another man.

It aroused the primitive side of me; the side that ignored everything except the complete and total pleasure of true wantonness. When I reached the brink and called out his name – not Maxwell's – the release left me vacant. Seeing him, my powerful lover, being fulfilled by another was both the most erotic and damning thing I'd ever experience. I was repulsed and yet compelled by it. I wanted and hated him.

After we'd exhausted each other, we laid in Maxwell's bed entangled in each other's limbs. There was no way to tell whose hands stroked my face, whose lips kissed me, or whose teeth marked my skin. We were like the Cerberus, the three-headed dog of Greek mythology; three minds intertwined without hope of escape.

But when dawn came, I opened my eyes and realized how wrong I'd been. I wouldn't – couldn't – be a party to their lust again. There was no way I would feel anything but disgust for what I'd done.

While Maxwell and Jacob lay sleeping side by side, I cleaned myself as best as I could and dressed to leave. Seeing Maxwell's long arm draped across the man I knew I still loved, I resolved that I wouldn't see either of them again. There was no room for me in their desire. I was the bridge that allowed them to be together, but I was also the barrier that kept them from being true to themselves. If this was who Jacob was, I didn't belong.

The carriage came to an abrupt stop, jarring me into reality. I took the hand Lewis offered absently, a world away from him as I disembarked, when a gentle squeeze caused me to look at him.

"He bores quickly of new playthings, Gwen." He smiled sympathetically. "You won't be without Mr. Frye's company for long."

I narrowed my eyes at him, angered by his compassion. "I don't want anything from Maxwell. And people are not toys, Lewis."

"I'm afraid they are." He released my hand. "To him."

I hurried into the station when I heard the first whistle blow, but when I laid eyes on Bertha I couldn't bring myself to board. If I did, I'd have to face my fellow Rooks and Evie. Part of me knew they would see me and turn away in disgust, somehow already knowing what I'd done.

I felt so dirty and ashamed. Not that I thought any less of Jacob. He was such a passionate man and I understood that passion drove him to do as he pleases instead of what's right sometimes. I also didn't blame Maxwell, even though I knew he'd devised the entire thing. Neither of them was at fault for my feeling because they hadn't caused them. I had agreed to the act – enjoyed several aspects of it – when I knew it was something I couldn't live with. I did it to make them happy.

And therein lies the shame. I'd given up my self-respect, my power, to feel wanted by two men I cared about. I wanted so badly to please them I turned my back on myself. I lied to myself so I didn't have to face disappointing the ones I cared about.

I didn't even realize I was running out the station until the second whistle sounded. Pushing through the morning crowds, I ran blindly through the corridors until I burst into the misty light. I turned, not caring which direction I went, and continued running as the light sprinkle became a downpour. Just as I turned another corner, I slammed into another body and was sent sprawling into a mud puddle.

"Oi, Miss. Are you all right?" The smiling officer reached down to help me up but scowled when our eyes met. "You!"

The officer and I recognized each other from Ned's escape. Panicked, I backed away before turning on my heels and running in the other direction.

"Stop!" He shouted, his voice already fading into the distance. "In the name of the law, stop!"

I heard the police whistle blowing almost a block away and kept running until two more officers stepped out of a shop in front of me to see what the commotion was about.

"Dammit!" I hissed, skidding to a halt and darting into traffic, causing a wagon to almost overturn. The horse reared, nearly taking off my head in the process, but I kept running until I spotted an open-air market I could disappear into.

Just as I was about to cut another sharp turn, a hard shove from behind sent me flying face first to the ground. I started to get up, already tasting the blood from my split lip, when one of the officers yanked me to my feet.

"Come along now, Miss," he said, sounding almost pleased.

I spat a mouthful of blood on the ground at his feet. "Fuck off."

He squeezed my bicep so hard I let out a yelp. "No more of that now. C'mon."

Flanked by two officers and the one who knew me jogging to soon join us, I didn't bother fighting anymore. My day, which had already been pretty awful to begin with, just got a whole lot worse.

After being arrested and locked in a cell no bigger than an outhouse, I was in no mood to be patronized. So when a portly officer stuck his fat face to the bars and began taunting me, it was all I could do to keep from getting up from my seat on the floor and hitting him right in his little piglet nose.

"C'mon, love," he said in a mocking singsong tone. "We know you were with 'um. Just give us a name."

"Go to hell."

He laughed. "Heard American ladies were all dollymops. Fancy a bit of the velvet tip, girlie?"

"Asshole."

"Ah, see that, Jonesy, she's asking for it."

"Leave her be," the officer from Ned's escape snapped as he shoved the other man aside. He looked at me with just a hint of kindness before turning his back and continuing his paperwork at a desk just outside the cell.

"Bah!" The other officer said before leaving us alone.

"I'm sorry about what happened," I said softly to Jonesy.

He grunted, but didn't turn to face me.

"My uncle was an officer of the law back home," I continued, leaning against the bars and staring at his back. "I remember my aunt sitting up all night sometimes waiting for him to come home. Truth be told, you have a very thankless job. Nobody wants you around until there's trouble."

He swung around suddenly. "Did you have anything to do with Ned Wynert's escape?"

"If I did, I never would've let anything happen to you after you'd been so kind to me." I met his eyes, realizing they were blue like Evie's. "You're a rare breed, Officer Jonesy. You're still a gentleman."

He got up and came to the cell. "Why'd you run?"

"I'm a woman alone in a foreign country?" I gave him a meek smile. "I've heard stories. I was afraid."

"Afraid of an officer of the law?" He scoffed.

I shrugged. "In my defense, I didn't realize you were an officer at first. I fell and got yelled out by a strange man. What would you expect me to do?"

"And why did you run from the others?"

"I thought I might've broken some kind of law bumping into you. Like I said, I'm not from England."

He looked almost convinced, but asked, "Did you see what happened during the escape?"

I shook my head. "Not really. I was talking to you when I saw a man in a dark hooded cloak attack you. It was terrifying. I must've fainted because when I woke up, everybody seemed to be gone so I left."

"And that's all?"

"I swear." I crossed my heart. "That's all I know. If you need someone to vouch for me, talk to Sergeant Fredrick Abberline. He'll tell you everything you need to know."

He turned and went back to the desk only to return with the cell key. Unlocking the door, he opened it to let me out.

"I'll speak with Sergeant Abberline, but since you've told me everything you know, you're free to leave." He said, slamming the cell closed. "Next time, stop when you're told."

I smiled at him. "I will. Thank you, Officer Jonesy."

Walking out of Scotland Yard, I couldn't help but smile. I didn't need Jacob or Maxwell to validate me. On my own, I was more than capable of handling anything life threw at me. Feeling a renewed sense of confidence, I decided to go to the theatre and tell both of them exactly what I thought.

I let myself in through the back and was almost to Maxwell's private room when Lewis stopped me.

"Where are they, Lewis?"

"Mr. Roth and Mr. Frye are presently indisposed," he said in his most professional, monotone voice. "However, Mr. Roth asked you be given this." He reached into his coat pocket and, for a second, I thought he was going to pull out a gun. Instead, he handed me a wad of bank notes. "Payment for last night's entertainment."

I looked down at the bills. "So this is the value of my friendship and trust?"

"Gwen, Mr. Roth is a dangerous man," he said, the first real emotions he'd displayed underlining his words. "Please, think of your own safety and stay away. As I said, Mr. Frye will return eventually."

"I don't care about Jacob coming back. I was going to tell Maxwell that he hurt me, but clearly that's what he meant to do." I smiled. "But tell him I won't just walk away from this. His consort – his girlfriend – has enough dirt on him to have half of London fighting for his head and I have every intention of doing whatever I can to bring him down. Even if it means taking him on myself."

Lewis eyed me carefully. "You'll find threatening Mr. Roth more perilous than you expect. Consider yourself fortunate and move on."

"Just give him my message and take care of yourself." I leaned in and gave him a quick hug. "Unlike Maxwell, you deserve better than the hell he's in for."

I climbed into a waiting fare outside the theatre and headed to the nearest station. My heart felt lighter as I climbed aboard; more so when I was welcomed back by my fellow Rooks, Evie, and Henry who only teased me about my haggard look and laughed when I told them I'd been arrested. They knew me, they respected me, and they accepted me for who I was. What more did I need?

"Miss Gwen," Dan said, pulling me aside after making our drinks. "I wanted to make sure you were all right. Did you get it sorted out?"

"Not really, but it's over now. No more Maxwell Roth. He was just using me so he could get close to Jacob. Sorry to say, I helped him do just that."

He nodded thoughtfully. "No need to worry. Jacob's smart enough to see through him."

I downed my drink and poured another. "I hope you're right, Dan. For all our sakes."