AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Again, reality asserted itself. What difference does it make? Blowing out her candle, she rolled over, pulled the blanket up around her ears, and tried to shut him out of her thoughts. But it was no use. Over and over, she kept reliving their interactions, her newly awakened mind seeking out clues, looking for the truth. Instinct told her he was a good man.
Instinct has led me astray before.
He genuinely cared for the students. Of that much, she was certain. He seemed to genuinely care for her, as well.
He has already proven himself a skilled liar. He’d fooled her and everyone else here. No matter how much she told herself it was irrelevant, her heart ached at the thought that his affection might be a ruse. His physical attraction to her wasn’t in question. She knew enough to be sure that was real.
And she was attracted to him, as well—to a veritable stranger.
A stranger, yes. It would be easier to view him as such. Easier not to remember their informal tête-à-têtes over tea after classes, their quiet, shared laughter and relaxed conversations.
But she couldn’t forget. And deep inside, beyond the hurt and suspicion fueled by past experience, she believed those interactions were authentic and not some contrivance.
Do I trust him? That was the all-important question. Hers wasn’t the only life at stake. I must know if he really is who and what he says he is. It would be the height of folly not to look into his story and verify it.
When she went to Lady Montgomery’s in the morning, she would indeed relay a warning to Lord Tavistoke. But that wasn’t all she’d communicate. If Constable Danbury was real, she wanted to know everything about him.
…
As he lay back on the couch, Will stared up at the high windows. There was naught to see but narrow slits of night. He wondered if he’d done the right thing. It was straining the limits of his already tenuous relationship with Jacqueline to ask to be quartered under the same roof, but it was the only way he could be close enough to act if anything happened.
And he was certain it would. Boucher hadn’t set a watch on the place without intent. She was waiting for an opportunity to strike. He had to ensure she didn’t get one.
Will began sorting the facts, examining each variable. He looked at every piece of the puzzle from all angles, lining it up with others in ways that would help him better see the situation as a whole and predict possible outcomes.
There were gaps in his knowledge, holes he filled with logical assumptions. Each complete supposition was catalogued and filed away, to be retrieved should the future lead in a direction that made it applicable. Every scenario he could imagine was explored.
Like a map, the school’s layout, which he now knew so well, spread across his mind’s eye. Weak points and strengths were noted, possible safe hiding places marked. Jacqueline had said this place was like a cloister in that there were limited ways to get in or out. While this was in many aspects an advantage to anyone trying to withstand a siege, it was also a drawback to anyone needing to escape.
The best defense against any attack was vigilance. The more he knew, the better equipped he’d be to fight back when the time came. Of the utmost importance was knowing whom to trust.
Boucher had someone on the inside spying for her, studying this place just as he had. He could feel it in his bones. The new kitchen maid, Sally, was his top suspect, but by no means was she the only one. He’d witnessed one of the other maids, a girl named Bethany, making bold eyes at one of MacCallum’s men while bringing water out to them not two days ago.
The masonry workers themselves were all on the list. Any of them could be accepting payment from Boucher to gather information. A few sweet words to a gullible young maid could loosen her lips in more ways than one.
Every possible vulnerability must be eliminated. Only those Jacqueline trusted with her life and the children’s lives should be allowed to go out into the city until Boucher was caught. He’d search Sally’s room, but even if he found nothing, he’d still watch her closely. If she balked overmuch when told she wouldn’t be going to the market, he’d go there himself with someone disguised to look like her and see if he saw anyone who seemed to be waiting.
And then what?
It hit him that he was an army of exactly one. There was no way to follow any lead that sprang from his observations without enlisting outside help.
No. I told her I would not.
Perhaps her friend the Archangel might have the resources he needed, but that meant asking Jacqueline to relay a message requesting such assistance.
And who am I that the Archangel should trust me?
He was certain Jacqueline would tell him all about her teacher-turned-constable. Only a fool would take him at his word after he’d lied so industriously, and she was no fool. The Archangel—whoever he was—would doubtless know everything about him before sunset tomorrow.
Will cared a great deal about Jacqueline’s opinion of him. Being honorable was something he took great pride in, and it rankled mightily that she thought him a deceiver. Perhaps once the truth was verified by someone she trusted, she’d look on him again with friendly eyes.
Never again would he speak falsely to her. Once this was all over and done, he’d show her he was worthy of her trust and, he hoped, her affection. There had to be a way to make sure the truth about her past never came to light. If he could guarantee it, he’d court her properly and—
Courtship. Miss Witherspoon. With a jolt, he realized it’d been weeks since he’d thought of the girl. He tried to picture her, but blonde hair became sable, and blue eyes turned hazel. All he could see was Jacqueline.
He recalled with chagrin his plan to one day settle down with Miss Witherspoon. Before coming here, he’d had his life neatly mapped out, and he’d thought
it a grand thing indeed. His life had been fulfilling. He’d been helping make his city a safer place. In bringing criminals to justice, he’d given a measure of peace to those they’d wronged. It had been satisfying, and he’d been content, but now it was no longer enough.
