Page 48 of Betrayal from Beyond
“Of course! I’ll do anything to make it up to you!”
Kara stood. The thought that had been wiggling at the back of her mind would not rest. She paced to the window and back. “Niall, when you wrote to inform Robert Preston of Petra’s death, did he respond?”
“Yes.”
“And did he say whether he had discovered Tom Hawkins’s whereabouts?”
“He had not yet found him.” Niall’s brows suddenly shot high. “You do not think…?”
“You recall what Preston said about Tom’s pranks?”
Niall rose to his feet. “The apples! He filled Hanlin’s desk with apples, each with one bite out of it! Just like the biscuits upstairs.Odin’s arse!You think that Jamie Horton might actually be Tom Hawkins?”
“It’s not much to go on,” Kara admitted.
“But it does make a warped sort of sense.” Niall sounded excited. “I think we need to speak to Robert Preston again.”
*
Upon thinking itover, Niall persuaded Kara that it would be best for them to go into London to stay.
“We have the rooms above the coffee house in Adams Street. Think about it. If we go, word will spread. Jamie Horton, or whoever he is, will believe he’s accomplished his goal and frightened you. It will make him less likely to prance over here and mess about with Prudence.”
“Which will make it less likely that she might give the game away,” mused Kara.
“Exactly. And it will keep him at Wood Rose Abbey until we can talk to Robert Preston. I hope we can convince him to come down and see if ‘Jamie’ is truly Tom Hawkins.
“Perhaps we should ask Turner to stop over there and visit Mrs. Canning,” said Kara. “If he mentions we’ve gone to London, no doubt it will be discussed among the servants over there.”
“Excellent idea. And if we head up to Town this evening, we can be sure to stop in at Preston’s home early tomorrow, before he heads to Westminster,” Niall continued. “We might even convince him to come down here after his day is finished.”
“The sooner, the better.” Kara brightened. “And I can check in on Rose Martin, and see how she’s getting along with Rachel in the shop.”
They made the trip to the city after leaving instructions with Turner and Elsie, who would travel up to join them the next day. Niall gazed fondly about the apartment when they arrived, recalling the first time he’d been here—when they had been forced to make an unorthodox escape. Throwing Kara a grin, he crossed to the window and peeked behind the curtain.
“The plank should still be there,” she said with a laugh. “But I trust we will not be forced to use it.”
“You never know.” Niall put his hands on his hips and looked around again. “Stayme keeps telling me I should invest in a real townhouse in Mayfair, but I have a fondness for this place and the shenanigans we’ve got up to in here.”
They spent the evening visiting in the set of rooms next door, where Rose Martin was staying. Niall thought the young woman looked both sturdier and happier.
“I am so happy to have the chance to thank you both,” the young woman said, pouring tea. “Thank you for finding me a place here. Rachel has been everything welcoming and kind.”
“She says you have been a boon to her—a hard worker,” Kara replied. “She also says you have revolutionized the storing and ordering of her supplies.”
“I have a gift for organization. It’s one of the reasons I was asked to help teach the younger girls at school.” Her happiness dimming at the mention of her past, Miss Martin looked down at her twisting hands. “I heard that the Hanlins’ school has closed.”
“Indeed,” Kara said reassuringly. “Her Majesty strongly suggested that Matthew Hanlin find a new career. One that does not involve proximity to children or young women.”
Miss Martin drew a deep breath. “Thank you. It is easier to focus on my own future, knowing that.”
“What of your son?” Niall enquired gently. “Have you considered—”
“No,” she interrupted, shaking her head. “He is better off where he is, with a loving family. I will leave them happy. I will concentrate on making my own way in the world. And this is a good place to start.”
“I feel sure you will prosper,” Kara told her.
Later, after they had returned to their own rooms, she told Niall more.
