She put our hands together again. Her white gloves, my bare hand—we looked the same in the moonlight. We were sisters, sisters of Bedlam, sisters of love.
“You and I have a bond, Patience. That must never be broken.” I rubbed at my temples as if I could jog something loose. “I may need Ashbrook’s unwitting assistance to learn more.”
“His what?”
“Unwitting assistance. You know, burglarizing his things again until we find the truth. I need to know. I deserve to know. No one will stop me this time.”
“You’re angry, like someone is keeping you from the truth.”
She spun my face toward hers. Could she read my thoughts?
“Jemina, who do you think is against you? The Widow’s Grace?”
“You said it. Lady Shrewsbury controls everything. She loves her nephew, and he’s hiding the truth.”
“Lady Shrewsbury . . . the countess and her network have freed us from Bedlam. Ashbrook drafted the papers. How could they wish you ill?”
“We’ve worked so many operations. You’ve seen what happens. We get the intelligence first about a cheated widow. Then we talked with the widow and put together a plan. Then we act.”
“Yes, you and I have become quite good at this.”
“That didn’t happen for us. No one asked anything of us. Ashbrook said I was free, but I wouldn’t leave you. He came back hours later and had the paperwork to free you, too.”
“I am so grateful to you and to him. I—”
“Ku ya, Patience! Look here, my friend, he did it. We were not a Widow’s Grace operation. We were a Daniel Thackery project. He’s the one with the reasons and the truth. Lady Shrewsbury has to be covering for him.”
“Why, Jemina? Why would he rescue us other than him being a good man who recognized your name on a list?”
“I don’t know. In my heart, I know he’s not evil, but until I have all the answers, I’m lost. Every nightmare is pushing me closer to him or back to Bethlehem Hospital. Bedlam. Bedlam.”
“You’re not going crazy. I’ll not allow you to return there. The Widow’s Grace is meant to save widows in dire straits. You’re safe. You’re with me. I’ll help you any way I can.”
“Then help me get to the truth. I don’t know what else to do. My baby’s waiting for me when I close my eyes. I have to know his name or tell her I miss her. I have to know my baby.”
Patience stood and brushed leaves from her cape. “We’ll get answers. Widows have to be smarter. And with the clever barrister, persistent and lucky.”
She stretched out her hand to me. “Take my arm. We’ll get you another audience with Lord Ashbrook.”
“But I wrote him. He hasn’t accepted another meeting.”
“Keep writing him. If you stop, he’ll suspect a new tactic. We don’t want him suspicious.”
I squinted at Patience. “You’ve been putting many things together about me and Ashbrook.”
“Anyone who kisses you in my parlor and brawls another suitor has my attention. But I don’t want him to hurt you.”
“I did get hurt. I had a splinter. Ashbrook made it all better. Then I kissed him to be rid of Willingham.”
Her mouth opened, then closed, then opened again. “I suspect you keep him on edge with your humor.”
She tugged on her cap, her face full of love and laughter. “We’ll start by getting him to come to Lady Shrewsbury’s dinner.”
“I’ve been watching him every night; he never goes out. The only visitors are his card-playing buddies.”
Shaking her head, she walked me back to where I’d hidden the horse I borrowed, the duke’s Shire, Zeus. She patted her hand along the silver mane. “He’s a good one. The duke’s stables are the finest.”
“Where’s your horse, Patience? I’ll wait.”
