Page 65 of Betrayal from Beyond
Niall nodded to Kara.
His wife drew a breath. “You have a good eye, Mrs. Brennan, and we spoke more truly than you could guess. It was not MissPrentice who returned here after the holiday. It was her sister, pretending to be her.”
The director blinked. “I… What was that?” She looked to Niall for confirmation.
He nodded.
Kara told her the whole tale. When she had finished, Mrs. Brennan sat very still. “Good heavens. I never guessed. They were so exactly alike. At least in appearance.”
“Twins,” Kara said.
“What an incredible story. It’s like something out of a novel. I would never have believed such a thing, had I not seen the differences in behavior for myself. I was in shock, truly, to see Katherine acting so brash, so harsh and insulting. And some of the things she said to the students!” She glanced at Niall. “You are sure?”
“Positive.”
Suddenly, the woman covered her mouth. “Oh, poor Katherine.”
“You cannot share this truth with anyone,” Kara warned. “Not with your teachers or students. Not until the sister has been caught. The woman is dangerous.”
“Oh, but—”
“She won’t hesitate to kill again if she thinks she’s been found out.”
Alarm replaced the sorrow in the director’s face. “Oh, but then you must tell Joshua! Even if no one else is to know!”
“Joshua?” asked Niall.
“Mr. Joshua Dalton. He is one of our instructors. He teaches history and geography.” Her brow furrowed. “We do not encourage fraternization among our teachers, but he and Katherine are—were—close. Very close.” Her hand went to her mouth again. “That woman! She broke his heart! She cut him loose in a most cruel fashion. But he refused to believe it. Joshuawon’t give up on Katherine. He’s vowed to get her back. I know he’s been spending all of his free time looking for her.” She suddenly looked frightened. “You must tell him the truth. There are whispers among the teachers that he’s seen Katherine with another man. If he confronts them, what might happen?”
“He might end up dead,” Gyda said flatly.
“Please,” the director whispered. “You must tell him.”
Niall nodded. “You are right. It sounds as if he needs to know. He might be able to help us find her, as well.” He gave Mrs. Brennan an expectant look. “Does he reside here at the school? Can you send for him?”
“We have two male instructors. They have rooms in a separate building out past the stables.” Mrs. Brennan shook her head. “But you won’t find him there now. Any time he is not in class, he is out in search of Katherine. Or drowning his sorrows at the Fox and Hare.”
He glanced out the window at the fading light. “The Fox and Hare, you say? Is it a respectable place to stay the night?”
The director gave a shake of her head. “Chiswick scarcely has an undesirable set, but if they are to be found, that would be the place. I would instead stay at the Meryton Inn. It is just down the high street from the corner where the Fox and Hare sits, but it is of a more elevated setting. Many of our parents stay there when they attend to school matters and functions.”
Kara stood. “Thank you, Mrs. Brennan.”
Niall joined her. “If I were you, I would take every precaution against allowing the fraudulent Miss Prentice back in.”
“We will. Thank you for sharing the truth.” Mrs. Brennan cast them both a candid look. “And please, someday, when you have daughters of your own, think of us again.”
Niall thanked the woman, but he had no room for such thoughts right now. Until Petra was stopped, all their plans for the future were in jeopardy.
Kara looked like she were sharing the same grim thought.
Gyda, however, looked about her with satisfaction as they emerged into the approaching evening. “We are catching her up,” she said with fierce delight. “Let’s go see if we can snare her at the Fox and Hare.”
*
They sent JohnCoachman and the guard to reserve them rooms at the hotel before they went in search of the tavern. They found it at the end of the high street, sitting back from the road a little, at the corner. Kara examined the narrow building and the crudely carved sign above the scarred door before they stepped through into the tavern.
The place had good bones, but Mrs. Brennan had been correct—the Fox and Hare was not an entirely respectable spot. It was thick with shadows and dark corners. The floors were sticky, the tables dirty, and the smell of spoiling meat and stale ale hung in the air.
