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Though he’d not yet slept in the bed, the sight of it nevertheless brought a flush to her cheeks. She flinched as the door shut behind them, and mentally scolded herself for being a ninny. Gathering her dignity, she met his eyes and opened her mouth to speak, but was beaten to the mark.
“Well, we’ve no longer any need to confirm your Sally is a spy. I found a shuttered lamp, as well as this, hidden in her room.” Jamming a hand into his coat pocket, he retrieved a bit of parchment and held it out. “Apologies for the poor quality of the writing; my graphite was dull, and I was in a rush.”
Taking the paper, she saw several scrawled lines of what looked like gibberish and dots.
“It’s a code,” he went on, his voice brittle. “Unfortunately, I’ve no way of knowing what information she’s shared. This does not bode well. To have enemies outside is one thing, but to also have them within…”
Gazing down at proof of Sally’s complicity, Jacqueline had to force her legs to bear her weight. The betrayal cut deep. The thought of Sally feeding information to that monster made her physically ill. Rather than give her despair free rein, she instead focused on relaying her own news. “The watchman who accompanied Coombs has been on this route for only a month.”
A muscle in his jaw worked for a moment before he spoke. “I expected as much. Sally, Coombs, and now this? It makes me wonder how many more she’s managed to place around us.”
Us. “Any word regarding Mr. Birdsley?”
“None as yet. What of your message? Will it reach your friend in time?”
“He will receive it this evening. Incidentally, he is leaving for the countryside on Friday for a week.”
“Safely out of danger—good,” he replied with a satisfied nod. “Now we must look to our own security. You’re certain no one has had access to the keys fitting the outer doors?”
“Absolutely. I keep my keys under my pillow at night, and the door to my room is always locked. Mrs. Sloane follows the same procedure.”
“What of your personal maids?”
“Mrs. Sloane prefers to see to her own needs, and Henriette has been with me since before the school was built. Though I trust her without reserve, she has neither asked for nor been granted the use of my keys.”
“Good. It guarantees nothing, of course. Brute force can gain entry almost anywhere.”
…
Seeing her crestfallen expression, Will regretted saying it at once.
“I might as well hand out keys to all, then,” she replied sourly. “Though I will say the locks are quite complex. No expense was spared in that regard. And don’t forget the bars are lowered each night, as well—stout, iron-reinforced oak.”
“Excellent. Our night watch should include a person at each outer door, including the entrances to the courtyard. I suggest chairs placed against them and bells tied to the handles to alert anyone who might be drowsy.”
“What if something happens during the day? MacCallum and his men are present, but I dare not trust them to protect us.”
Indeed not. In fact, if he had his way, all construction on the new wing would stop until this business was sorted out. “I daresay that’s a wise decision. Both messages have come by way of that work area. It could be that some of MacCallum’s men are being paid by Boucher.”
Her face turned white. “I’m sure MacCallum would never allow anyone to sabotage his work. He has an excellent reputation as a builder, and I cannot see him endangering it through negligence. Every day I see him checking over his men’s work.”
“True, and my instincts tell me he, at least, is trustworthy. However, he is but one man and cannot see everything. How many men does he have working for him? Two dozen? Three? And how many of those does he truly know well enough to say they would never accept pay from someone like Boucher?”
“You are correct,” she grudgingly conceded. “Perhaps I should speak with him, let him know what happened, and ask him to keep a lookout for any odd behavior among his crew.”
Though everything in him said he should be the one to do this, man-to-man, he replied, “I think it a sensible course of action.” He watched as one delicate brow arched in surprise. Clearly, she’d expected him to charge in like a bull and take over. Having grown up with stubbornly independent women, however, he knew better. A wise man learned how to work with such females rather than waste time and breath fighting them.
Silence stretched, and Will felt heat begin to creep up beneath his collar. “Certainly, Boucher will expect you to take such measures.”
“Yes, of course,” she said, still peering at him with a perplexed frown. “I will speak with him first thing in the morning. Is there anything more you wanted to tell me?”
Words crowded behind his teeth. There was so much he wanted to say but couldn’t. Not yet. And her meaning was plain—she wished to end the conversation.
In that instant, he became very aware of the fact they were together in a small space behind a closed door. And that there was a bed in the room. The effect of this realization was immediate in the urgent tightening of his vitals.
Heat roared up his neck to flood his face. He cleared his throat. “I believe that’s all.” Turning, he opened the door wide and stepped back to give her plenty of room to pass. “Shall we join the others for dinner?”
She swept past without answering, but once out in the foyer paused to await him. “Indeed, I’m sure we have already been missed.”
