Chapter Thirty-NineSeverus
I lounged in my small but comfortable sitting room, the embers of a log fire dying in the grate. The room grew chilled, but so preoccupied was I by the recent turn of events, I didn't bother to rekindle the flame. My head swirled with thoughts of what lay ahead. Had the constable seen enough of my face to identify me if brought to a confrontation? How could I have been so lax, so careless? My planning had let me down, and I considered myself at fault, as thoughts of dear Mrs. Hamilton and her unhappiness overcame me.
The question that now burned in my mind was a simple one: stay or go, the only two options left open. I wallowed in a quandary of my own making, fired by circumstances and feelings previously alien to my mind.
Much to my personal chagrin, I actual
