Sounds of eating, knives and forks being pushed around plates, tea being drunk, and mugs refilled filled the kitchen. Faces sombre and strained, each person concentrated on the meal as if it were their last.
As the plates were emptied, Bridie started clearing the table. Honora went to the pantry to fetch a basket of herb-filled muslin bags and Anastasia returned to her potions simmering on the stove.
Rosalie had brought down a roll of paper from the sitting room. She unrolled it now and lay it on the table in front of John. She had already talked to Florentine about what had happened and hoped that going over this map with her son-in-law would jog a few more details from her tired mind.
Mr Ridlay had placed himself beside Florentine the moment she’d returned to the kitchen. If they coul
