“Is he sure it was her?”
Louisa parted with a short, bitter laugh. “I take it you’re denying any knowledge of it.”
Maxwell hissed through his teeth. “Yes, I am, damn it. Answer me. Is he sure it was her?”
“Why don’t you ask him? He told me he recognized her hat. Or, at least, it reminded him of the one she’d been wearing, except the feathers were white, not green. He also mentioned her Scottish accent and how pretty she was. Seems to be more than a coincidence, don’t you agree? I’m wondering, then, if these visits will be a regular occurrence.”
Maxwell stared at her for moment, his blood chilled by the image of a white feather tangled in a clump of heather. “No, they will not,” he replied. “I guarantee it.”
Louisa shrugged. “Forgive me if I harbor doubts about your ability to control her.”
Maxwell’s eyes narrowed, his mind playing out a scenario he could barely comprehend. He couldn’t even muster up a reply, but simply turned on his heel and left.
He needed to speak to Reuben.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“You cannot stopLouisa from visiting Highfield,” Finlay said. “She’ll want to know why, and I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes if you tell her about your suspicions. Things are bad enough as they are.”
Maxwell frowned. “I don’t want to stop her from visiting Highfield. I just don’t want her going over the moor alone.”
“And I repeat, she’ll want to know why. You’re over-reacting, Max. The feather could have come from anywhere. You have no proof it has anything at all to do with Flora, or Louisa’s accident. Besides, the lass won’t come back here. Not now. She wouldn’t dare.”
“I wish I was as certain. Given what Reuben said, I have no doubt it was her he saw several weeks ago. It makes me wonder how many other times she’s been here.”
Finlay huffed. “Then maybe you should hire men with dogs to patrol the grounds.”
Maxwell, who’d been gazing at some vague spot on the far wall of his office, straightened in his chair and regarded his brother. “Actually, that’s not a bad idea.”
“Bloody hell, Max, I was being sarcastic.”
“Hmm.” He pondered. “Then how about I hire someone in Glasgow to keep an eye on her? To let me know if she shows any sign of heading back here?”
“And then what? You hire the man and the dogs at that point? No, sorry, brother. It’s not only extreme, it’s underhanded, which is the last thing you need to be right now. When the time comes, simply tell Louisa of your suspicions and ask her to be vigilant. That’s all.”
Maxwell regarded Finlay for a moment. “When did my little brother become wiser than me?”
Finlay laughed. “Most of what I know I’ve learned from you. In this case, since I’m looking at this situation from the outside, I suspect my view is somewhat clearer than yours.”
“You don’t say.” Maxwell pinched the bridge of his nose. “I can barely think straight.”
“Hardly surprising. Have you slept at all these past two days?”
“Not much.”
“You look like death.”
“Thanks.”
“Are you still planning to leave for Sheffield tomorrow?”
“Certainly.” He shrugged. “I’m of a mind that leaving for a few days might be a good idea.”
“I’m not sure I agree.”
“I’m not sure about anything.” He slumped back in his chair. “What a devilish mess, Fin.”
“She’ll come around. It’s only been a couple of days.”
