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Will mounted his horse, forcing himself to resist the urge to spur the horse to a gallop so he could more quickly reach the spot on the road where they’d been attacked. He had to work slowly and methodically. It had never been difficult for him before, but he’d never felt this sense of panic before. He’d spent a sleepless night going over every single event from the last two days, wondering what he’d missed. Every time he’d lain down and tried to sleep, the panic had started to press down on his chest. He hadn’t been able to breathe, and he’d needed to walk about and busy his mind.
If he allowed himself to think too much, he would wonder at his response. Then he would look deeper at his feelings, and hecouldn’t afford to do that right now. He didn’t want to know why he felt panicked and afraid when he thought of Emily hurt or dead.
And he really didn’t want to consider how he’d feel if he received proof of her treachery. He’d wanted to trust her. Hehadtrusted her, and if he’d been wrong then perhaps he should resign from the Royal Saboteurs now. An agent needed good intuition and he couldn’t continue working for Baron if his was so easily warped by a beautiful face and a few kisses.
It was after one in the afternoon, the sun bright and the wind fierce, when Will heard the rumble of hoofbeats. He’d been to see three local landowners and knocked on the doors of more than a dozen tenant farmers, all to no avail. He was about to mount his horse after a fruitless conversation with the wife of one of those tenant farmers when a guardsman appeared in the distance, dust flying behind his horse. Will’s chest constricted.
They’d found her and she was dead. He didn’t want to even think it, but he couldn’t put the dread from his mind. Will clenched his fists and prayed he was wrong.
“Sir!” the guardsman called, pulling his mount up short and scattering dust and small pebbles on Will’s boots.
“Tell me.”
“We’ve found her, sir. At least we think we have.”
Hope leaped in Will’s chest, but he tamped it down. “Where?” He waved a hand. “Never mind. Show me.” He mounted his horse and rode just behind the guardsman, who led him to the road not far from where the attack yesterday had occurred. There Will spotted the leader of the royal guards speaking with an older woman, who was driving an empty cart. It was the type of conveyance farmers used to transport their produce to market. This woman was sixty or so, dressed simply, and looked apprehensive but determined.
The guard’s leader raised his hand to signal to Will, who rode up beside him. “You have news?”
“Yes, sir. This woman thinks she might have found Lady Averley.”
Will didn’t like the sound of that. The image of Emily’s body strewn on the field, blood in a pool around her, flashed in his mind.
Will had the urge to order the woman to tell him what she knew, but he forced himself to be patient. He nodded to the woman politely. “Madam, if you have some news, I can assure you that you will have the queen’s gratitude. Lady Averley is a lady-in-waiting to Her Majesty.”
The woman’s eyes widened slightly. “I suppose I had better start at the beginning.” She had a rural accent, and her speech wavered slightly as though she was nervous.
“Please.” Will wanted her to hurry, but there was no point in flustering her.
“I was on my way back from Hounslow. I sell my veg there twice a month in the winter and every week in the fall and summer. Yesterday I left early in the morning with my leeks and parsnips. Usually I take my son.”
Will’s eyes narrowed. As the woman was past childbearing age, one could only assume her son was not a child.
“He’s not quite right, if you know what I mean.”
“I don’t, no. Could you explain?” Will couldn’t leave room for suppositions or questions on his part.
“He’s a good boy—a good man,” she corrected, “but though he’s over thirty now, he has the mind of a child. He’s simple. He wouldn’t hurt a mouse—at least he wouldn’t mean to. But he doesn’t always know his own strength—”
“Madam.” Will was growing more concerned by the moment. “What does your son have to do with Lady Averley?”
“I’m coming to it. Usually I take him with me, but I couldn’t persuade him to climb into the cart yesterday. I’m sure you can understand that he’s far too big for me to force, and it’s just the two of us. If he doesn’t want to go, I can’t make him.”
“So you left him at home.”
“I did.” She nodded. “I’ve done so before. It’s only one night. I usually stay with my cousin Agnes when I go to Hounslow as I’m getting too old to make the journey there and back in one day. I stayed for breakfast and helped my cousin with some of her morning chores.”
Will wanted to shake the woman and force her to get to the point, but he took a breath and made himself exercise patience.
“On my way back, I saw your soldiers and wondered a bit at seeing them.”
Will didn’t tell her the guards weren’t soldiers or under his command, he simply nodded at her to continue.
“But then when I reached home and Edgar wouldn’t open the door...well, I grew concerned.”
“Edgar is your son?”
“Yes.”
