“How was today?” Kayden asked softly as he drank his wine.
“Better than yesterday, but there are still too many ill people.” Lilliana sighed, shaking her head. “Your men haven’t uncovered anything?”
He shook his head regretfully. “Whoever this woman is, she is careful.”
“And malicious,” Lilliana pointed out.
“Aye.” Kayden nodded in agreement.
“Have you no equivalent of Bow Street Runners you can call upon?”
Kayden huffed in amusement. “Therearethe black watch, but I doubt they’d be much good in this case.”
“And of course, you don’t want to involve the redcoats.”
Kayden snorted derisively, shaking his head. “They wouldnae make an effort even if we asked.”
She pursed her lips, looking down at her plate. “That’s unfortunate.”
“That’s the English.”
She cast a glance at him from beneath her lashes, wanting to utter a protest. To say that not all English people were terrible.She wondered if he includedherin his disdain, but was too afraid of the answer to ask.
She cast around for a new subject, wanting to break the tension, but just then, another knock sounded at the connecting door.
“Kayden?” Jacob’s voice floated through the door.
“Aye. Ye can come in, Jacob,” Kayden said.
Jacob stepped into the room, his gaze darting from Kayden to Lilliana. “I came to get ye, Me Laird, because there’s been a development.”
“What is it?” Lilliana asked eagerly.
Jacob hesitated for a moment, but Kayden nodded for him to continue.
“One of the horses the men rode out on has returned… with nay rider.”
Kayden’s brow furrowed. “Do we ken whose?”
“We think it’s Nigel’s horse.”
Kayden sighed, getting to his feet. He put his glass down on the tray and nodded to Lilliana. “Excuse me, Me Lady, while I attend to this.”
“Should I come with you?” she asked.
He shook his head, his hand briefly squeezing her shoulder. “Nay. Stay here. I’ll send word if we hear more.”
Lilliana nodded, biting back another protest. She watched as Kayden left, his promise to send scouts to the stream to try and retrace Nigel’s steps ringing in her ears.
She could still remember the direction they had gone in when she and Kayden had encountered Conall and his family. After speaking to the villagers, she knew that the poisoner was operating from somewhere close to that stream.
I could go and look. I could help too. Maybe I’ll find her. Maybe I’ll notice something that a man wouldn’t.
She shot to her feet, itching with the need to move. To dosomething. Conall’s scared face as his mother convulsed on the floor came to mind. If they did not do something soon, so many people could die.
She quickly crossed over to the wardrobe and picked her warmest stockings, thickest riding habit, a shirt, and a plaid.
“What are you doing?”
