Page 51 of The Gift of Patience
She went to the ladies’ sitting room and penned a missive to their sister, Hope, who had been the first of the sisters to have a child. Patience had little doubt Hope would come as quickly as possible, for they had delayed their trip to the Continent with the Duke until Faith gave birth.
There was a knock and she looked up to see Major Stuart with his head around the door. “May I come in?”
“Yes, of course.”
“How is Faith doing?”
“Holding up as well as can be expected. There is a long way to go yet. I was given a reprieve for now.” She indicated the letter. “Your brother, on the other hand, might need a sedative before long.”
Stuart laughed. “I will look after him when Faith sends him away, which she most assuredly will.”
Patience folded up her letter and sealed it. She’d have a footman take this to Rotham instead of sending it by post.
“May I help you with that?” he asked.
“I was just going to take it to Armstrong. Was there any news about the situation?”
“Very little, I’m afraid. We are to pretend that we are removing Devil, hoping that will give our man a false sense of security. Manners was able to have his father arrange another shipment within the next week. We are hoping to narrow down who is either profiting from the information or who is leaking it to someone else—even if unwittingly.”
“Will you continue to signal?”
“Yes, as well as have the rest of the gang followed.”
“But won’t the man have to send his own signal if he needs to indicate there is a shipment to take?”
“Indeed, and that is how we hope to catch him. If they are aware we are flashing one signal each night, they might position themselves to send the extra flash or two.”
“Clever. You think they will be bold enough to come onto the estate?”
“When they see all of us supposedly leaving today, I think they will.”
“So you will hide, then? It could work.”
“It could also be a dead end. They may have decided to contact the gang another way and abandon this altogether, but Manners and Cholmely are following them.”
“I assume the shipment will also be followed from London.”
“Indeed. Along with the one we suspect to be the culprit.”
She pondered. “There’s little else you can do if Devil does not give you any further information.”
“In some aspects, I think he has told us all he knows, but then I think perhaps I have not asked the right questions. He is more willing to speak with us than at first, on account of wanting to protect his son, Billy. Once we threatened Billy and offered transportation, he has been more compliant.”
“And Cook’s food?” She had heard of the requests to bribe the prisoner with delicacies.
“Treacle sponge.”
“I would sell my soul for some of that if I was starving,” she agreed while standing to take the letter to the butler.
It was rare to have this moment of camaraderie with him. Was it due to guilt over Rupert? Whatever the reason, it felt wonderful to be included—to feel that her opinions mattered. When he behaved that way, it was hard to remember why he annoyed her so much. It was not a deterrent for her childish infatuation in the least.
A loud groan of pain echoed through the house and they exchanged mutual grimaces.
“I have a feeling it is going to be a very long day and night for Faith. Why do I think it will be harder on Dominic, somehow?”
“At least he will think it was harder on him. Men!” Patience muttered with exasperation.
“I am off to arrange for Devil’s transportation. I will be back to see to Dominic later.”
