“A man so long under his father’s power isn’t natural. Your father took a dislike to Thomas when he was very young. I’ve never understood it.” She shook her head. “Lord Granville hating his own son so thoroughly.”

“But even so, he’d never . . .” Bennet’s words trailed off, and he abruptly turned away. Mistress Humboldt looked sad. “He might. You know it ourself, Master Bennet. The way your father has treated him shows. He’s like a tree trying to grow through a crack in a rock. Twisted. Not quite right.”

“But—”

“Do you remember the mice he’d catch sometimes when he was a boy? I found him once with one he’d caught. He’d cut off it’s feet. He was watching it try to crawl.”

“Oh, Jesus,” Bennet muttered.

“I had to kill it. But then I couldn’t punish him, poor lad. His father beat him enough already. I never saw him again with a mouse, but I don’t think he stopped. He just got better at hiding it from me.”

“We don’t have to pursue this,” Harry said.

Bennet swung around, his eyes desperate. “And what if he is the sheep poisoner? What if he kills someone else?”

His question hung in the air. No one could answer it but Bennet.

He seemed to realize it was up to him. He squared his broad shoulders. “If it is Thomas, he’s murdered a woman. I need to stop him.”

Harry nodded. “I’ll talk to Dick Crumb.”

“Fine,” Bennet said. “You’ve helped us, Nanny. You see things nobody else does.”

“Maybe not with my eyes anymore, but I always could read a person.” Mistress Humboldt held out a wavering hand to her former charge.

Bennet grasped it.

“God save and protect you, Master Bennet,” she said. “It’s not an easy task you have.”

Bennet leaned down to kiss the withered cheek. “Thank you, Nanny.” He straightened and clapped Will on the shoulder. “We best be going, Will, before you finish those last two scones.”

The old woman smiled. “Let the lad take the rest. It’s been so long since I had a boy to feed.”

“Thank you, ma’am.” Will stuffed the scones into his pockets.

She saw them to the door and stood and waved as they rode away.

“I’d forgotten how sharp Nanny is. Thomas and I could never get anything past her.” Bennet’s face darkened when he spoke his brother’s name.

Harry glanced at him. “If you want, you can put off talking to Thomas until tomorrow, after I’ve sounded out Dick Crumb. I’ll have to wait until nightfall to find him, anyway. Best time to catch Dick is at the Cock and Worm after ten o’clock.”

“No, I don’t want to wait another day to talk to Thomas. Better to do it right away.”