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The viscount’s housekeeper, Mrs. Gosling, was able to shed light upon the oddity when she invited them in for a tour of the manor house.

“It was my great-great-grandfather who introduced the first geese to Cavalier Cove,” she said proudly.

“For what purpose?” asked Henry. “Loud and ill-tempered birds are quite out of step with the general atmosphere of the village.”

The housekeeper gave him a sidelong look which Artemisia interpreted as meaning What would you know?

“Smugglers,” Mrs. Gosling said darkly. “We are upstanding citizens, yet the Waterguard out of Polperro has been chasing them for years, to little avail. Not a single villager has ever been charged with the crime of avoiding excise taxes.”

Artemisia noted the woman’s careful wording. When Henry glanced at her he seemed to think the same thing she did—that the woman was not being entirely truthful. Interesting.

“Thank you for enlightening us. As to the original purpose of our visit, I wondered whether or not you recognize my companion, Mr. Henry.” She added the title out of habit.

“No, I cannot say I do. Am I supposed to?” the housekeeper said in bewilderment. “That’s a nasty black eye, begging your pardon for being so blunt. Have you tried leeches?”

“Unfortunately, yes,” Henry grumbled.

“I had hoped someone might know who he is. You see, I found him yesterday lying in a ditch. He has a bump on his head and no recollection of who he is or where he is from.”

“I see,” said Mrs. Gosling.

“That makes one of us,” he interjected. Artemisia swatted his arm.

“I am on my way to visit my cousin, who is about to have a baby and could use some help for a few weeks. I cannot dally here for too long lest I miss the birth. However, it would be unconscionable to abandon a man with no place to go.”

“Is he staying with you for the moment?”

Heat flooded Artemisia’s cheeks. “Temporarily, at the Mermaid’s Rest.”

She did not mention their shared room.

“Heard the place was full up. Well, I don’t suppose I can offer to take in Mr. Henry without his lordship’s permission, but he ought to be back tomorrow or the day after. If you can remain in town for a day or two and make inquiries, I would hazard a bet that you will either find someone who recognizes him, or Lord Prescott might be willing to take him in for a while. Where did you say you found him?”

“Lying by the side of the road about a mile outside of town.”

“Peculiar. There isn’t anything in that direction except for the Davies’ cottage. It used to be part of this property but his lordship sold it to Davies a few years ago.”

“Does a connection to the viscount seem familiar to you?” Artemisia asked Henry. From this angle, in profile with his brow slightly furrowed and the damaged side of his head turned away from her, he was a strikingly handsome man.

“I don’t know,” he said. “It feels as though something familiar is trying to break through a cloud inside my brain, but whenever I reach for it, it slips from my grasp.”

“Keep trying.” Artemisia patted his knee encouragingly. Mrs. Gosling eyed this physical contact with raised eyebrows. She returned her hand to her lap and held the housekeeper’s gaze until she broke eye contact.

“I will, but thinking is bringing my headache back.”

“Cogitation will do that. I do my best to avoid overtaxing my noggin,” Mrs. Gosling said cheerfully, tapping her temple. “We should finish our tour before the weather turns.”

“But the day is fine right now,” Artemisia protested.

“Those clouds on the horizon mean a storm is blowing in. You learn to keep one eye on the sky around these parts.”

Mrs. Gosling’s words proved to be prophetic. On their way back to the inn, the rain came down in a deluge of Biblical proportions. By the time they arrived, her driver and the horses were both soaked through, while she was shivering from the sudden drop in temperature. Poor Henry looked ready to cast up his accounts.

“The change in air pressure can cause or exacerbate headaches,” she said sympathetically. “We should get you more laudanum, and perhaps another round of leeches.”

He made a face. “Must we?”

“Or you can suffer a swollen eye. Your choice.”