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Tristan dragged his hand down his face Relief flowed through hi his death was an accident was perhaps easier to bear

“I had told hiht Lord Fernall died,” Mr Blackwood continued Now he had begun his story the words flowed freely “I’d not wanted to tell a soul, but his lordship had a coo to London, to confront the gentleman responsible But I avoided hiates and watched him leave without me”

“Were you afraid to speak up?” Isabella asked, her tone soft, serene

“I’m the only witness I didn’t want to reveal what I saw that night But his lordship asked toountil my mind was a jumbled mess”

Tristan suspected it would not take a great deal of effort to push the man to his limits

“But soe your mind,” Tristan said, “else you would not have attempted to follow my brother”

Mr Blackwood shrugged “I kept thinking, what if the scoundrel caht to silence us all?”

“Did you not think to tell the current Lord Fernall what you saw?” Isabella said

“At the tientleman to talk to”

“And so you saw my brother fall from his horse?”

Blackwood nodded “He was dead by the tiet help, but then I re his head “I stole it fro of horse’s hooves I h the woods”

Isabella sighed “And you have been running ever since”

Tristan’s thoughts turned to Andrew’s notes “Do you still have my brother’s book?”

Blackwood simply nodded

“Why did you not think to bring it to me?”