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Both ladies blinked with surprise

"I’m so sorry," Lily said "But come in, coh the door and shut it behind theone out for a leisurely ride They’ve gone out to confront Leo’s killers"

Amelia and Meredith looked to one another

"You must believe "

"We do believe you, dear" Amelia put a hand on Lily’s arm "We already knew"

"You … You knew?"

Meredith nodded "Our husbands told us But Mr Bellaather he didn’t want to raise your hopes or anxieties until it was all over"

Lily went nuer and disbelief She didn’t knohat to think Her husband, her friends, her friends’ husbands … Was the whole world conspiring to deceive her?

A her into the drawing roo down across fro to fear Let ator, Mr Bellamy was able to find the two men believed to have attacked dear Leo They’ve been imprisoned these six months for another crione to e of er, and it will all be over soon"

"But … but that er, ould Julian leave a letter saying he ht not return? He said he’d received a threat on his life yesterday Lily’s memory flashed back to that ainst the pane Could that have been the incident? It would certainly explain Julian’s behavior of the subsequent half-hour, carrying herwith relief

She reached for Aht "I believe you, Amelia I believe that as recently as yesterday, their plan was as you describe it But soed That’s why Julian wroteLeo’s killers, but identifying an unknown enemy He spoke of violence, and the possibility he will not return I believe our husbands may be in true peril Or at the very least,Do you have any idea where they’ve gone?"

Auarded looks

"Lady Lily," Meredith began, "I know you are anxious But even if there is danger, our husbands are better equipped to handle it than nored her "If they went toreleased … How ate? Bridewell? And so many more, just in London alone Oh, but a London jail makes no sense Why would they ride out on horseback? It must be somewhere further away"

Amelia touched her wrist, then waited for her attention "Lily,to say, Amelia That our husbands have the situation in hand, and we can onlyBut I know you’re wrong I can’t tell you how I know, but I know Julian would not have left me that letter if there was no reason to fear" She took a deep breath "Now, the two of you can either help me find hihed "Rhys gave me no details about their destination He said only that they were riding into the country"

"I’m afraid I don’t know any more than that," Amelia said "I confess, when Spencer’s talk turns to horses and riding, I don’t always listen so closely as I ought"

"We need a list," Lily said "A list of prisons and jails within easy riding distance"

"Even if we obtain such a list," Ao searching in every direction at once"

Lily dropped her gaze and blinked back the tears of frustration stinging her eyes Crying wouldn’t help matters

Her attention was jerked upward by a flurry of rainbow-hued feathers Tartuffe swooped the length of the drawing roo back to perch on the chandelier

"Damnable bird," she cursed up at hie?"

Amelia clapped with astonishment "Is he yours?"

Lily nodded

"He’s lovely," said Meredith "And he seems to share your distress over Mr Bella his name ‘Oh, Julian,’ he says Over and over ‘Oh, Julian’" She chuckled "And now, ‘Guilty, guilty’"

"He belonged to a barrister once," Lily explained "And yes, he has quite a fondness for Julian’s na pecked at herletter

I’ated ass Even the damned bird knows it’s true

Just what did this dauilty indeed

"Don’t … you …away Once she’d reached the room’s exit, she darted into the corridor and found two footers at the first "You--bring quill and paper" She swung her gaze on the second "Run and ask Cook for a dish of minced fruit and nutmeats And both of you, be quick"

They dispersed as ordered, and Lily returned to the drawing room It was a wild, likely futile idea, but it was the only idea she had

"A her eyes trained on the feathered menace overhead, "I know you are a duchess, and this task is horribly beneath your station in life But I must ask you to do it anyway"

"Whatever can you mean?"

The footman arrived with paper and quill, and Lily waved hi, "I must ask you to take dictation from a bird"

"What ti his boots froe and squinted toward the Thames In the deep center of the river, the prison hulks floated at anchor--skeletal, rotting corpses of ships, stripped ofvessels, now serving as overflow prisons for convicted felons

"After the day’s work," he answered "This time of year, labor ends at four o’clock"