For The Love Of My Scotsman (Complete!)

Worried About You

 "What hour were you supposed to meet with Mr. Farraday?" Lottie asked, staring at the dried pool of blood. It looked like Octavia had tried unsuccessfully to clean it, but the stain was still evident.

"He did not give me a time," Octavia said, laying the rug back over the blood and rubbed her hands together as if trying to erase the memory. Blood from the wound that Lottie had caused on her hand was beginning to darken her bandage as if she had reopened the gash with the stress.

Octavia continued, "he just said that he would be there when I looked for him. I did try to meet with him around midnight, but he was not there, even after I waited for an hour."

"Because he was meeting with me. Here, at the laboratory." Lottie turned toward the fire and chewed on her thumbnail, her mind churning. "What about when you found the blood? It had to be rather fresh if it could stain your boots."

Pursing her lips thoughtfully, Octavia tipped her head. "It was in the early morning hours after I woke up to hear you screaming. You left and then Sally patched up my hand, and I went to find him. I thought that maybe he was the one causing your nightmares... and then I found the blood... I truly thought you must have killed him in your crazed state."

"I left him sometime between 1:30 and 2:00," Lottie said, nodding slowly. "And you found the blood around 6:00. If my spear is missing, it must have been used to kill him, either accidentally or intentionally. But I have no knowledge about how long this much blood would take to dry—"

"This much? Without sunlight, it could take several hours to get to the state in which I found it," Octavia said with confidence. Lottie turned a wide-eyed stare to her, and Octavia grinned. "I have seen my fair share of skirmishes aboard my father's ships, remember?"

Lottie grimaced, unsure if she should be impressed or concerned. "Then he could have died anytime between when I left him, and you found the blood. I fear that does not make things much easier for us."

Octavia nodded. "Oh, there's more," she walked backward to the door, pointing to an imaginary line on the floor. "There was a trail of it leading out of the room, but I managed to clean it up."

"Where did it go?" Lottie asked eagerly. Perhaps she could follow the trail and find some hint about who moved the body before Octavia arrived.

Octavia led the way down several stairs and to the door that led to the roof. "It was the trail that I discovered first. It led me up to your laboratory. But there was nothing on the roof to say where the body went. I am not sure how someone could have gotten it out of the castle without anyone noticing."

With her stomach twisting, Lottie stepped closer to the edge of the roof. "I think I know." She looked over the edge. Her pully system dangled not far below, red stains on the ropes and netting.

"My inventions. One was used to kill Mr. Farraday... and the other was used to move him. I never imagined they could be put to such horrific purposes," Lottie whispered, shaking her head.

Octavia put a comforting arm around Lottie's shoulders.

Lottie sighed, but then she looked up at Octavia quickly. "The bloody sand. If you did not know where the body had gone, then you never followed it to the beach. How could there be bloody sand in your wardrobe?"

***
Thomas followed Mr. de Lacy to the drawing-room as he joined the rest of the guests, who were just starting a round of cribbage.

Taking his place behind William's chair, he watched Mr. de Lacy slowly circle the room before choosing a seat far enough back to view the entire group of players, but close enough that he could still hear the conversation.