“Nor, it would seem, to the duel and the death of Sanderson twenty years ago,” I said.

“Even so, you have Whitmore’s involvement from two sources now, so there must be something to it.”

A silence fell as we mused individually upon the conundrum. I took a sip of barley water. I certainly had no answers, but another question came to mind.

“Where is Duffy?” I asked.

Julia sighed. “He has gone back to London. Apparently, he returned here after I left to fetch the army, and then set off at first light.”

Charlotte nodded her accord with that report. “He was most keen to go and would not even stay for breakfast.”

“I thought he would follow you to meet the army upon the road,” I said to Julia. “Lud, what kind of brother is he?”

“Think on it, Gus. He is a magistrate. If he had met the army with me, he would have had to choose between betraying us or the law. So he chose to leave and not put himself in that position at all. I think, in his own way, he was trying to be a good brother.”

“You are more generous than I am,” I said.

A knock upon the door sounded.

“Come,” Charlotte said.

I was expecting Tully with the food—which I rather wanted—but it was Hanford, Charlotte’s butler.

He bowed and addressed his mistress. “My lady, a Captain Morland is downstairs and demands to see Lady Augusta and Lady Julia. He says he has the authority of the British Army and will not go until he has seen them.”

Charlotte eyed me. “Shall I send him away? For all the army bluster, he is still the son of our friends and I am sure I can get him to leave.”

It was tempting, but I shook my head, the action sending a shooting pain into my temple. “It will have to be done at some point—it might as well be now. Are you ready for it, Julia? You are the one who lied to his face.”

“We all lied to his face,” my sister said. “And I rather think we are about to do so again.”

46

A cup of chocolate revived me enough to dress, but it took me an hour to ready myself for the interview. I craved a warm bath but made do with a carefully administered wash from Tully, who tutted as she navigated the sponge around the bruises and cuts upon my body.

Upon finishing my toilette, I looked at myself in the dressing room mirror. No wonder the Ermine had been so shocked at the sight of me: the right side of my face was deeply bruised and still a little swollen, the deepest blue and black upon my jawbone. I blinked, suddenly back in the forest, clawing at Mulholland’s face, my breath hard and fast.

“My lady,” said Tully, grabbing my hands, “what is it? Shall I fetch Lady Julia?”