Page 116 of Waking Roslyn

I went to the barracks and changed out of my uniform. Looking the part of an easily overlooked groundskeeper would serve me far better in my reconnaissance than having the Weltshire crest emblazoned on my chest.

I found Thomas out in the stables, helping out the grooms, of all things.

“Thomas,” I called to him. “Let’s go.”

He quickly dumped the brush he’d been using into the container at his feet and hurried over to me. His enthusiasm bolstered my own confidence.

I made quick work of saddling my horse, and then we took off for Ravenna’s estate. Perhaps it would have been more prudent to go to the Malladon residence since our last foray onto Ravenna grounds had yielded nothing, but instinct told me to go back to Lord Ravenna’s manor. Lord Neil Ravenna had been so openly hostile at the ball that I would feel foolish prioritizing any other suspect.

Thomas and I stashed my horse in a wooded grove not far from the house and made our way closer on foot.

“I can’t wait to tell the lads about this,” Thomas whispered when we reached a garden gate and crouched down.

I smiled, though it was grim. I was too focused to fully enjoy his adventurous spirit, but it certainly reminded me of myself at his age. “It will be a good story, I’m certain.” I looked through the gate for any sign of movement. “Do you see anyone?”

“Not a soul,” he said.

“Very well. Stay close and walk normally.”

We set a pace that spoke of purpose but not hurry, and we wove our way through the gardens. I kept glancing up at the windows to be sure that no one was looking out on us, suspicious of a couple of servants who’d never been seen here before. If Ravenna was as guilty as I believed him to be, and we were caught…

Trespassing was dangerous enough. But trespassing on the land of a man who was willing to kill a young girl to further his political ambition—

I could not allow us to be caught.

We stopped at the edge of the garden and observed the comings and goings of servants and guards for several tense minutes.

“Do you recognize any of them?” I asked Thomas.

“No.”

“All right,” I finally said. “Follow close behind me. Look at every man’s face and don’t let yourself look guilty.”

I watched him swallow and noticed that his expression was much more serious than it had been before. Good. He was taking our circumstances seriously.

“If you see the man we’re looking for, don’t say anything. Just tap my elbow and then discreetly point him out. Understood?”

He nodded bravely. “Yes.”

My nerves were taut. There was more at stake for me than ever before, and I had to remind myself that I was up to the task. Doubt would not serve me.

I stepped out into the open courtyard and led the way across the grounds. At this point, all I could do was cover as much ground as possible in the hopes that our path would cross with the right man.

We went down to the stables, past the barracks, and then across the courtyard again. No one stopped us, which was a miracle.

Still, I stopped to look around and consider our next move, letting out a sigh.

“What if he’s inside?” Thomas asked.

I pulled a hand down my face. If the man we were looking for never came outside, then there was little we could do. This task was not something I could accomplish with just force and tenacity. Luck played a large part.

“Let’s work in the flowerbeds close to the house. I’ll work and you can carefully look in the windows. Maybe we’ll get lucky.”

Or maybe I was wrong. Maybe the man wasn’t here. Maybe we should have gone to the Malladon estate instead.

We worked our way along one whole side of the house, and Thomas only spied a handful of people inside, most of whom were footmen or maids.

When we reached the back of the house and the entrance to the kitchen, I hesitated. In my experience, the kitchen staff were familiar with all the servants of an estate, so showing our unfamiliar faces there would be a bigger risk.