Raven (Gentlemen of the Order 2)

It was her home, her sister, her servants, yet she spoke as if he were her husband. Nothing would please him more. “There have been too many secrets. The time for honesty is nigh.”

Perhaps he should be honest, too.

Should he confess undying love?

Should he explain he wanted her for his wife?

“Is that why you told Blent about Mr Archer’s plan?” she asked.

“I told Blent because he deserves to know the truth.” Had Finlay known about Jessica in the beginning, had he known the real reason Sophia married Lord Adair, things might have been different. “When this is over, and Jessica has recovered, you will need to consider what should be done about their relationship.”

Sophia nodded, but a knock on the door prevented her from replying. “Enter.”

Mrs Friswell limped into the room. Her chalk-white face made her appear otherworldly. At least she had lost the scowl and seemed more amenable.

The housekeeper struggled to curtsy. “Forgive me, my lady.”

“Your leg is troubling you today?”

“Yes, my lady. The cold got to my bones.”

Finlay had an ounce of sympathy. “Because of your late-night visit to Bisley?”

Mrs Friswell eyed Finlay with some suspicion.

“You may speak freely to Mr Cole. He is here to help Jessica, to bring an end to our nightmares.” Sophia cleared her throat. “There shall be no more secrets. Is that understood? Blent explained why you’ve been giving Jessica your tisanes, and I must bear some responsibility for leaving you here unattended for long periods. All that aside, you will answer Mr Cole’s questions if you want to keep your position.”

Mrs Friswell exhaled deeply and nodded.

“Anne said you went to Bisley to fetch supplies,” Finlay began. “Supplies needed for a battle with the devil. Please tell me she spoke metaphorically, and you’re not expecting the master of the underworld to appear.”

The housekeeper hesitated before saying, “A man who makes a lady ill for his own gain is a devil in my book. But I knew when you eventually brought Miss Draper back to the house, the beast would reappear and act quickly.”

“Why did you not come to me with your concerns?” Sophia said, airing her disappointment.

“I’m not an educated woman, my lady. The doctor knows about those new treatments they use abroad to help heal the mind.” Mrs Friswell grimaced as she moved her aching leg. “And up until a couple of months ago, he’d only been giving Miss Draper laudanum.”

Finlay stood and offered the housekeeper his seat.

The woman appeared shocked, equally relieved. She waited for Sophia’s permission before coming to sit on the sofa. Finlay stood near the stone fireplace, his leg throbbing a little, too, in deference to her plight.

“I suffered a broken kneecap whilst in Belgium.” One of Finlay’s captors had stamped on his leg so hard he heard the crack seconds before feeling the excruciating pain. He was lucky to have full use of his limb. “It aches in damp weather or during moments of overexertion.”

Mrs Friswell’s grim mouth softened. “Mine aches when it’s damp, too. And I spent hours in the woods last night.”

Ah, now they would get some semblance of the truth.

“Doing what exactly?”

“Preparing for the devil’s return. My brother-in-law brought me back from Bisley in the cart and helped lay the traps.”

“Traps?” Sophia jerked back in the seat. “Poachers’ traps?”

“Mantraps,” Mrs Friswell replied as if the prospect of injuring a man was inconsequential. “Bernard said you can’t lay a mantrap or spring-gun without giving notice. So he nailed a warning to a stake and hammered it into the ground near the stile, another on the Windlesham path.”

Finlay took a moment to let the information penetrate his brain. He turned to Sophia. “The woods are part of the Blackborne estate, I presume.” One could not set a trap on public land. The law was quite specific about such things.

“Yes, but there is little point hiring a gamekeeper to patrol the area. Though I’m not sure I like the idea of injuring a poacher.”