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"Who are you working for?" she asked

"Why, the h Miss Forrest’s fahtly, devastated and determined to find out who or what is behind the horrible attack on their daughter" Victoria saw hiain, but perversely, she re woardener’s shed Her name, incidentally, was Bertha Flowers" He looked at her as if to challenge whether she cared that the woman had a name

"Yes, I found her behind the shed"

"What were you doing in the garden during a dinner party, Lady Rockley?"

"I had excused ardens were lovely"

"But the other guests were playing cards Why would you be so rude as to leave the party?"

"I thought I saw one of the other ladies in the garden, and I went to join her"

"And as that? According to Lady Hungreath, all of the other ladies were in the parlor with the exception of you"

"Miss Sara Regalado, from Rome, was not in the parlor when I quit the room"

"Miss Regalado returned alreath noted it especially as she thought it would be you, and was quite confused when you didn’t return"

So that had not been Sara’s pink gown, flashing behind the cupid statue? It was impossible for Sara to have returned to the parlor so quickly without Victoria seeing her

"How did you knohere to find the body?"

"As I wasn’t looking for a body," Victoria replied shortly, "I didn’t knohere to find it"

"You had blood on your skirt and hands when the gentlemen found you And your shawl, covered in blood, was found at the scene as well, as if it had beendiscarded Nor, again, did you screa to the others Who, certainly, should have heard you It’s almost as if you expected to find it, and knehere to look" He rocked back on his heels, as if delivering soreat pronouncement

"There was blood everywhere, Mr Goodwin When I knelt next to the girl to ascertain whether she was dead--"

"Lady Rockley, I saw the condition of her body You ht have been alive Regardless, no woman would have the constitution to come upon a person in that condition and not gerated dubiousness ritten on his face

"Perhaps you could desist fro about the Maypole and say whatever it is you mean," Victoria replied

"Very well, then, Lady Rockley I believe that you are somehow involved in these attacks Either you are the perpetrator, or are somehow involved with the person-- or creature--who is"

"Mr Goodwin, do you have any idea how ridiculous you sound?" Victoria found it easy to laugh, although an uncoun to settle in the back of her mind "Hoould a woman such as I make those kinds of wounds on another person?"

"A woman such as you?" Mr Goodwin’s eyebrows turned into dark, inverted vees, drawing together above the bridge of his nose "I have a feeling that a woht be able to"

Victoria’s mouth dried Who was this man? The discomfort in her middle turned cold and heavy Yet she responded coolly "Accusations toward y The realyour notice while you point the finger at me"