She is right. I am jealous.
Frederick shook his head at himself and continued on down the stairs. He found his father sitting behind the desk, staring out of the window. “Father?”
The Duke turned around startled as though his son had interrupted him in deep thought. “Yes, Frederick.”
“I have spoken with Mother.”
“And?”
“She says there is nothing to hide and that she simply wished to spare us the worry by hiding the letters.”
“If that is what she says, then that is what is true,” his father answered and turned back around to stare out the window again.
“Are you well, Father?”
“Of course. When do you leave for Pentford?” He did not look at Frederick when he spoke. It appeared that Frederick had managed to upset everyone he cared about.
“As soon as possible. There is not much more I can do here if Mother does not know who is sending the notes. I have set up a guard for her bedchamber and all staff have been instructed to inform you immediately if anything amiss occurs.”
“I would feel better if you were here, as you well know, but you are your own man and will do as you please,” the Duke waved him away dismissively, and Frederick left the library for the stables.
Upon entry, he did not find Mr. Tatham as he had hoped but instead instructed a groom to have his horse made ready. He returned to the manor house to bid his mother farewell, but she was asleep. “Guard her with your life,” he instructed Greeves and Mr. Johnson as he departed. Both men swore on their honor that no harm would come to the Duchess as long as they drew breath. Josephine was nowhere to be seen, and so he was forced to leave without mending the breach between them.
As he rode away, he caught sight of her lovely figure standing in an upstairs window watching him. He raised his hand in acknowledgement of her presence only to have her turn away without reciprocating the gesture. Frederick’s chest felt as though someone had driven a dagger through his heart.
I have lost her.
Chapter 8
When Frederick arrived at Pentford, he was met by Mr. Hanson. “Where is the lieutenant?”
“He is in the forest, My Lord. There was another incident. We do not know how they managed it. We have been most vigilant in our patrols, and yet somehow, they slipped in and out unnoticed. The only evidence that they were ever here is the same as before. They gutted the deer where it fell and took the carcass. The lieutenant did his best to follow the trail, but it disappeared.”
“Just as it did before,” Frederick noted, shaking his head in disappointment. “It is as if they know exactly when I will be away. Every deer that has been slaughtered was while I was away, with the one exception. At that time I made an unscheduled visit to meet with Lt. Buckworth.”
“Are you suggesting that one of our own men is part of the group?” Mr. Hanson asked indignantly.
“Or they have someone watching the manor house at all times,” Frederick answered, nodding his head. “As much as I do not wish it to be so, it is quite possible that we have been betrayed.”
“I will begin questioning the men immediately, My Lord. If one among them has done so, we will find them out,” Mr. Hanson promised.
“Where was the last deer slain?” Frederick inquired, hoping to examine the sight himself. He knew he would not find anything more than the lieutenant had found, but it made him feel more in control of the situation, and he needed that. It felt as if everything in his life was slipping through his fingers like dirt from the forest floor. He had been greatly affected by the events of the last few days and needed to find a way to protect those he cared about.
“Just past the outcropping of stone that resembles a fish. You will find the lieutenant there.”
Frederick clapped Mr. Hanson on the shoulder and left him to perform his inquiries. He mounted his horse and turned him toward the location Mr. Hanson described. Frederick approached the rock outcropping and dismounted. Lt. Buckworth emerged from behind the rock. “My Lord,” he greeted. “I am surprised to see you so soon. How is your mother?”
“She will heal,” Frederick answered briskly. The last thing he wanted to do was discuss the situation pertaining to his mother. The entire ordeal bespoke scandal. “What have you found?”
“It is the same as before. The blood trail ends shortly beyond those trees. I passed through this very area last night while riding on patrol and saw nothing. I heard gunfire, and by the time I had returned all that remained were the deer innards. There is something much bigger afoot here than just poaching.”
“I am inclined to agree. The question is what.” Frederick studied the ground around them. “How do they manage to disappear without leaving a trail?”
“I had a Scottish officer in the wars that used to call such men will-o’-the-wisps. They could fade in and out of the darkness, attacking the enemy without ever being seen. These poachers remind me more and more of those men.”
“Were there many men like that in the ranks?” Frederick couldn’t imagine that very many men would be capable of such a feat.
“No, there was not. The Scotsman used to tell tales of Highlanders who could do such a thing. They had served in the American colonies and learned much about silent warfare from the native peoples there.”
