‘Yes, poor lamb. He was jittery all day.’
‘I am sure he will settle now that it is only us again,’ Charlotte said, drawing a brush through her hair. ‘I am exceedingly gladto see them all gone. I kept expecting some fresh catastrophe to occur.’
Her maid smirked.
‘Well, brushing shoulders with your Lord Stanley must have been some comfort.’
‘Sarah!’ Charlotte gasped, flushing hot at the memory of his nearness.
Entirely unrepentant, the maid finished pressing the gown before turning out its pockets.
‘What is this?’
She produced a folded parchment.
Charlotte glanced at it distractedly.
‘Oh—that is the letter Matthew Stanley gave me before he died. I suppose I ought to have handed it to Lord Stanley as evidence.’
The parchment was passed over.
Charlotte unfolded it absently—then went still.
‘Sarah... did you iron my gown with the parchment inside the pocket?’
She shrugged.
‘Habit is not so easily overcome. I was your lady’s maid for years. I could not bear the thought of you looking crumpled.’
Charlotte let out a delighted squeal.
‘You are a genius!’
‘I have always thought so,’ came the prim reply.
Charlotte thrust the parchment excitedly towards her.
‘Miss Charlotte, waving it about like a flag is hardly helpful.’
Charlotte held it still.
Faint red ink now shimmered over the cream parchment.
‘It is the cipher for the black book. Look—all the symbols correspond to letters of the alphabet.’
Her eyes widened.
‘Do you know what this means?’
Chapter 36
Sarah watched her mistress pacing the bedchamber with growing bewilderment.
‘Lord Stanley took the black book with him. We must send a messenger to bring it back. I shall ask Mrs Wilberforce to dispatch an express first thing in the morning.’
Charlotte twirled on the spot.
‘We may finally discover what is hidden inside that dreadful book. I am certain it contains a list of all their accomplices...’
