Page 81 of The Gift of Patience
The morning was growing late, and she could think of nothing else to aid in the solution. Unless Billy could think of something else to help them identify the man, or Rupert had left some sort of journal, she was out of ideas.
It appeared that she had missed breakfast, but it was no matter. The coffee would sustain her for some time. She went to look for Xander and suspected she might also find Billy.
Her supposition was correct. Xander was with both Peter and Billy in the barn, putting down fresh hay. As soon as Xander saw her, he bounded over to greet her.
“Morning, miss,” Peter greeted. “I hope you don’t mind I kept him with us. He seemed happy enough.”
“Not at all. I came to see how Billy was settling in.”
“I’m all right, miss. I like this work better than the other.”
Interesting notion, and encouraging, Patience thought. “I am glad you are comfortable here.”
“I even learned a couple of me letters this mornin’.”
“Indeed?”
“His lordship has someone teach all of us for a bit each week,” Peter informed her.
Patience smiled. Westwood was something of a reformer and thought it more helpful than hurtful to have his servants given a perfunctory education at a minimum.
“I learned ’ow to write me name.”
She was not certain Billy would be there long enough to learn more, but everyone should be able to read and write their own name.
“I got to thinkin’, miss. That walkin’ stick I said the gent carried?”
“Yes,” she said encouragingly.
“It might ’ave ’ad a letter on it. Now wot I seen them, I can’t be sure.”
Fair enough. “Perhaps you could describe it to my sister and she could try to draw it?” Grace was rather skilled in that way.
“I suppose we could try.”
Patience left to find Grace and encountered both Westwood and Stuart talking at the entrance to the study.
“Good morning, Patience. I did not see you at breakfast. Is everything all right?” Westwood asked.
Patience was frankly surprised he’d noticed with the new baby around.
“Everything is well,” she assured him. “I’ve just been checking on Billy and he seems to be settling in well. He learned some letters this morning and was delighted to be able to spell his name.” She smiled at her brother-in-law. “Quite a lovely thing for you to do.”
He waved away the praise.
“Of note, Billy did mention that the walking stick might have been a letter instead of a snake. I am going to see if he can describe it better to Grace to draw.”
“Excellent idea,” Stuart agreed. “I do have a favour to ask.” He pulled a small key out of his pocket.
“I was wondering if you would mind calling on the Fagges to see if they recognize this key.”
She angled her head to take a closer look, and he held it out to her.
“We found it hidden inside of a shoe in Rupert’s rooms in London.”
“It’s a peculiar size,” she remarked. “It is too small for a door.”
“If you could see to that, I would be forever grateful. It’s possible it is nothing more than to a box at the bank, but I hate not to try to discover its purpose. We must prepare to get Devil to the tavern and position ourselves before contact is made.” He gave her hand an affectionate squeeze, then kissed the back of it while looking into her eyes with some kind of unspoken message. She could not precisely say what that message was, but the look warmed her to her toes.
