To The Traitor in My Bed - Chapter 20
“Where’s that sound coming from?”
She shouted to be heard over the wind.
The driver pointed toward the hill and shouted back.
“Up there. It looks like Lady Perpetua’s house!”
It was already past eight o’clock. While it wasn’t quite midnight, it wasn’t an appropriate time to visit someone’s house either.
Lady Perpetua went to bed by ten every night. It was certain an unwelcome guest had arrived at Edelweiss Heights.
“Carry me to that house.”
She commanded.
* * *
“Dammit! How did this happen?”
Blanc cursed under his breath as he helped Darnell.
“It was that bastard, Cottenham. He sniffed us out.”
Darnell trembled. His imprisonment wasn’t because, as the public believed, he was caught for publishing anti-government newspapers as a young rebel. He had deliberately infiltrated that prison, where only prisoners convicted of espionage or treason were kept, to gather information.
So, he should have felt proud of his success in achieving his goal and escaping the prison. But whenever he thought about Lysander Cottenham, it made him feel uncomfortable and as if he had lost something.
By law, torture was prohibited against nobles, so Cottenham hadn’t used physical violence on him. However, it wasn’t uncommon for him to go without food for a day or be kept awake all night, and Cottenham even encouraged the guards to harass him severely.
In short, Cottenham was like a slimy snake. How persistent he was that Darnell and his group wouldn’t escape Cottenham’s grasp, until he and the White Rose Brigade helped take Christian off the throne and strangle that snake.
Cottenham had visited Edelweiss Heights yesterday.
And five minutes ago, the butler, Parker, hurried up to deliver Lady Perpetua’s message. He said that the military police were coming, and they should hide in the basement.
The basement of Edelweiss Heights had an escape route leading to Rochepolie Forest, about two miles away. This passage was built along with the house to prepare for an avalanche that could bury the mansion in a snowy disaster.
Over thirty years ago, a still quirky Lady Perpetua who bought this house purely because she liked the idea of having a hidden escape route, and this secret remained known only to the people of the Fairchild family.
“Hide in the basement for now. If the military police don’t leave within ten minutes, escape through the passage. We’ll assess the situation later and use the exit then.”
Parker’s advice.
It wasn’t a good idea to leave recklessly, especially since there could be military police in the forest as well. And even though Cottenham was sharp, there was no way he could have figured out that Darnell was hiding here.
Blanc carefully lifted his colleague and quietly descended the servant’s staircase. The basement was accessed from the back door.
From the hallway, Perpetua’s scolding voice could be heard.
“Visiting a lady’s house unannounced at this hour! Haven’t you been taught any manners?”
Blanc, sensing Darnell’s tension, spoke in a low voice.
“Remember, the other party is Lady Perpetua.”
No matter how much the military police were, they couldn’t raid Lady Perpetua’s house without a search warrant. A warrant could only be issued if there was a legitimate reason.
As Blanc had anticipated, the military police had not come with a search warrant. Instead, they had come with a ridiculous excuse for their visit.
“We are patrolling for the safety of the local residents. We’ll be staying here until the snowstorm passes.”
One of the military police asked for permission. Perpetua gave him an annoyed look as the snow from his uniform melted, soaking into the carpet.
“Ah, if that’s the case, I suppose I can’t deny you a place to stay under my roof. But this is not the place for you. Parker! Take them to the stables. Bring them blankets and tea.”
The soldier’s true colors quickly showed.
“Lady Perpetua Fairchild, you’re being very uncooperative. You know, there’s a saying that even murderers should be allowed to sit by the hearth. Yet here you are treating us like this?”
“There’s a hearth in the stables. I’m already paying an enormous amount of taxes to the Crown, so why should I provide you with a place to rest at this hour? And as for patrols, the most dangerous ones around here are people like you, who barge into a solitary old woman’s house at will! Hey! Don’t even think about sitting down there!”
At her words, the soldier, who had been about to sit, hesitated.
She wasn’t particularly afraid of the military police. There were four of them. As long as Parker communicated properly with Blanc and Darnell, nothing would happen immediately.
When the butler returned with a calm demeanor, Perpetua felt more at ease. What concerned her more was that the servant she had left behind, Rex, seemed uneasy. The military police, sensing this, decided to press him.
“And who is this, Lady Perpetua? He doesn’t seem like someone from around here.”
The people from Rochepolie were used to the cold and didn’t wear extra clothing inside as long as the fireplace was on. However, Rex, who was from the south, was wearing a rabbit fur vest and slippers.
“He’s Lady Rochepolie’s servant. He was sent to take care of things for an elderly woman. If you don’t believe me, go to the Count’s residence and ask directly.”
Perpetua gestured toward the window. The military police were still looking around to see if there was any reason to cause trouble, only the faithful butler followed her hand’s direction and looked outside.
She noticed the subtle change in the butler’s expression.
‘Why is he acting like that…?’
Perpetua felt anxious. She tightened her grip on her cane.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
