“You did some traveling when you were younger, did you not? How did you find Bath?”
Epilogue
I wasn’t sure whether to be pleased with the fact that I could add yet another new experience to my life. Wedged between a stout woman and a tall, thin man was not exactly comfortable. “What takes you to Bath?” the portly man across from me asked.
“It’s where my new employer resides.” And where I would be sure to find the next clue to solving my brother’s murder. Bridges’ may not have had anything to do with it, but somehow he’d come by my brother’s paper knife, and I wanted to know how. Of course, I could say nothing of this to the other passengers.
He nodded in understanding and then promptly closed his eyes. A snore came from him a moment later, and I bit my lip to keep from smiling. “Men,” the women next to me muttered. “Never trust them, my dear. They will bring you nothing but trouble.”
Glancing over, I gave a nod of acknowledgment. Then she too drifted asleep, her chin coming down to rest on her chest. With the other passengers either sleeping or their attention elsewhere, I took the opportunity to open my reticule and withdrew two letters. I glanced at the first, scanning Henry Bladen’s writing for a moment before secreting it back inside. I unfolded the second and reread the words I’d almost committed to memory.
Miss Nelson,
I hope this letter finds you in good health and fully recovered from your ordeal.
I bend the rules of propriety this once to share with you the news that Bridges was found dead in his cell. No one knows who smuggled a knife in and killed him. I can only assume that it was the man to whom he passed the information he stole from Mr. Burnham.
Bridges had his suspicions about you from the moment you stepped into that house. It is highly likely that he told his contact of you.
Be careful, Miss Nelson. This man has killed once and may do so again.
O. Harper
P.S. This paper knife was found in the Burnham’s garden. I believe you used it to defend yourself. I return it to you in the hopes it may aid you in the future, whether it be to trim a sheet of writing paper or to ward off an attacker once again.
O.H
Breathing out, I returned the letter to my reticule and felt the cold blade of the page knife. Having it near reassured me. I turned my gaze to the passing scenery, bringing me ever closer to the last place my brother had been alive.
Juliet’s story will continue in The Debutante (The Sinclair Society, Book Two)
Acknowledgments
This book would not be what it is today without the help of a few other people. A huge thank you to Carissa Dillon for editing and polishing up my book better than I’d ever hoped for. Thank you to my sister for being my first reader, and my mom for being my first critic. I’m thankful to my writer’s group for always supporting me. And, of course, I can’t forget about my lovely followers on Wattpad for being with me from the beginning.
You all rock!
Also Available By Bethany Swafford
A Chaotic Courtship
Twenty-year-old Diana Forester, a country-bred young woman, fears that her inexperience and uncertainties have discouraged the charming Mr. John Richfield. On arriving back home from London, she learns that he has already arrived, ready to continue their acquaintance and explore whether they are suited for each other. If Diana thought that deciding her future marriage mate was difficult in London, courting takes on a whole new aspect when Diana's younger siblings become involved. She finds herself dealing with her own feelings, her sister, her younger brother, jealous members of a house party, a jilted suitor, and a highwayman as she falls in love with the charming Mr. Richfield.
Read for free with KU on Amazon and in paperback format!
My Hands Hold My Story
IN 1874, IVY STEELE's deafness is more than a handicap. It's a disease. Surrounded by a family that doesn't understand her, she's learned to cope and find solace where she can. Then, the unexpected happens. Her aunt dies, and her uncle sends her away to rejoin her father's family in Montana.
Left to fend for herself, after the companion hired to escort her abandons her, sixteen-year-old Ivy faces continual hardship and danger. Several men see an unaccompanied Ivy as a flower ripe for the picking, and things only get worse when masked men hold up their stagecoach.
Barely scraping through, Ivy makes it to Montana with her nerves shaken and what little money she has in her boot. Expecting a peaceful if not affectionate welcome, Ivy finds herself in greater hardship than she's ever known.
Surrounded by a stepfamily that hates her, and flung into a life where hearing is vital, Ivy finds solace in a handsome cowboy named Remy. But things with her new family are not what they seem. And Ivy is about to find out that the danger she faced on the journey west, has followed her to Montana...
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Emily’s Choice
EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD EMILY Lawrence believes life to be simple and that the only challenge she faces is convincing her cousin and companion, Rosalind, to have more courage. This belief changes when Mr. Adrian Williams moves into the neighboring estate. Emily's father forbids her from having anything to do with the man, but when an unexpected illness throws her into Mr. Williams company, Emily finds that obeying her father is more difficult than she imagined.
Emily struggles to understand why her father is so insistent on the matter. What happened eight years ago, when the Williams left the estate? Is it a coincidence that Emily's mother died at the exact same time?
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Not My Idea (A Gentleman of Misfortune, Book One)
“Lucas, you must return home.”
Twenty-two year old Lucas Bywood abandons his Grand Tour in response to those words from his father. Everything is not well at home and he finds himself in a bit of a fix. A little warning that his father had made tentative arrangements for his marriage would have been nice but Luke really wishes it had been anyone other than the young lady chosen. After all, Phoebe Ramsey had always been an annoyance and any time they had spent together had resulted in physical injuries for one of them.
Just when Luke thinks he’s escaped that particular future, he finds himself courting a young woman he doesn’t want, a furious best friend who wants a duel to satisfy honor, and the responsibility of finding who and why someone had caused an accident for his mother.
This was not his idea of what the summer was going to be like.
The Debutante (The Sinclair Society, Book Two
WITH THE EVENTS OF London behind her, Juliet Sinclair takes on another position, this time in Bath. Rose Dunbar is the spoiled daughter of a widower and an unrepentant flirt. Sparks fly as personalities clash and the oldest Dunbar son shows far too much interest in Juliet.
Amidst the intrigue and splendor of Bath, Juliet seeks to discover just how her brother was murdered and realizes her heart might not be as cold toward a certain gentleman as she thought.
About the Author
For as long as she can remember, Bethany Swafford has loved reading books. That love of words extended to writing as she grew older and when it became more difficult to find a ‘clean’ book, she determined to write her own. Among her favorite authors are Jane Austen, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Georgette Heyer. When she doesn’t have a pen to paper (or fingertips to a laptop keyboard), she can be found with a book in hand.
To get notified about new releases and any news, sign up to Bethany's Newsletter here: https://bit.ly/2Hg7KJw
Read more at Bethany Swafford’s site.
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Regency Rumors (The Sinclair Society Series, #1) Page 19
