Rose Heart

Chapter 11

Rose sat at her desk, her heart heavy with sorrow. She took up her pen and began to write a letter to James, her hand trembling with emotion.

"My dearest James,

I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to you with a heavy heart, as I have been forbidden from seeing you again. My parents have discovered our relationship and are determined to keep us apart.

They say that you are not a suitable match for me, that you are a commoner with no wealth or status. But I know that none of that matters. I love you for who you are, not for your social standing.

I am desperate to find a way to be with you again, but I fear that my parents will do everything in their power to keep us apart. I am trapped in this house, with no way to escape.

Please, James, find a way to come to me. I need you now more than ever.

Yours always,
Rose"

She finished writing the letter, her tears falling onto the paper. She folded it up and sealed it with a kiss, hoping that James would find a way to rescue her from her prison.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Blackwood crept through the darkness, his eyes fixed on James' house. He had been waiting for the perfect moment to strike, and now was his chance. He slipped past the sleeping servant and into the house, his footsteps silent on the floor.

He made his way to James' study, his heart pounding with excitement. He had prepared a forged document, one that would ruin James' reputation and ensure that he never saw Rose again.

Blackwood slipped into the study, his eyes scanning the room. He spotted James' desk, covered in papers and books. He smiled to himself, knowing that his plan was about to come together.

He carefully placed the forged document on James' desk, making sure it was visible. He then turned and crept back out of the house, disappearing into the night.

The next morning, James woke up to find the document on his desk. His heart sank as he read the words, his reputation ruined. He knew that Blackwood was behind this, but he had no way to prove it.

James felt his world crumbling around him. He had lost Rose, and now he had lost his reputation. He was left with nothing, all thanks to Blackwood's treachery.

****

Blackwood stood at the door of James' house, flanked by two burly guards. He smiled to himself, knowing that his plan was about to come to fruition.

"Search the house," he ordered the guards. "We have reason to believe that James is harboring treasonous documents."

The guards nodded and pushed past James, who stood frozen in shock. They searched the house from top to bottom, finally finding the forged document on James' desk.

"Ah-ah," Blackwood said, his eyes gleaming with triumph. "I knew it. James, you are under arrest for treason."

James' eyes widened in horror as the guards seized him, binding his hands behind his back.

"This is a mistake!" James protested. "That document is a forgery! Blackwood, you're behind this, aren't you?"

Blackwood smiled, his eyes cold and calculating. "I don't know what you're talking about, James. But you'll have plenty of time to think about your treason in prison."

The guards dragged James away, leaving Blackwood to smile to himself in satisfaction. His plan had worked perfectly. James was out of the way, and Rose was his for the taking.