“I should go out to check the damage and see if anyone needs help,” he said, still staring out the window. Then he turned to me. “Thank you for being so calm in the crisis tonight. That helped the children remain calm.” He stared at me for a long moment more before saying, “Olive’s probably wondering if she’ll get that story.”

“Maybe she’s already fallen asleep.”

“Olive? Not likely.” Before I could leave, he took my hand. “Again, thank you. I believe I made a very good decision in hiring you, Miss Newton.”

As I went to Olive’s room, two things occurred to me: he’d called me by my Christian name during the crisis, apparently entirely unconsciously, and he hadn’t been wearing his eyeglasses, even while having his shotgun at the ready, in spite of his claim that he was practically blind without them.

Now I knew for certain that Lord Henry’s absentminded-scientist persona was nothing more than an act. Did that mean he really was the bandit, after all?

In Which I Reassess Many Things

IN WHICH I REASSESS MANY THINGS

Olive fell asleep five pages into her story, but there was little sleep for me that night. I returned to my room to finish writing my article, but it was nearly impossible to concentrate with so many conflicting thoughts swirling around in my brain. Alec, who had acted so devoted to me, who had kissed me so ardently, had callously disregarded the possible consequences of my spying for the rebels. Lizzie and Colin, who’d seemed such true friends, had staged that deception. I still wasn’t sure whether the rebels had lied to me about not expecting violence at the picnic. And now I was certain that Lord Henry was the masked bandit I’d encountered on the train.

But what should I do about my discovery? If I knew he was the leader of the Masked Bandits, wasn’t it the duty of a good citizen to report him to the police? Criminal or not, I knew he was a good man. He was generous and kind, and he was spending his own youth caring for his brother’s children. There had to be some reason for his secret life of crime. I reassured myself with the fact that the Masked Bandits apparently only stole from the government. Perhaps they were like Robin Hood, stealing for a worthy cause rather than for greed. I couldn’t turn him in until I knew what he was really doing and why.