Paper Woman: A Mystery of the American Revolution by Suzanne Adair Read Free Book Online

broadside."
    Edward returned
both papers to Fairfax.   "Where
were you during the print run two nights ago?"
    "Asleep
upstairs."
    "While
eight men crowded the pressroom the night before last and printed copy after
copy of a broadside, you never woke up?"
    "I sleep
soundly."
    "Weren't
you curious as to your father's visitors?"
    "Why
should I be?   His business is his
own."
    "I shall
ask you again.   Where is your father
right now?"
    "I told
you I don't know."
    Fairfax stepped
forward, his face angelically beautiful.   "Sir, allow me a few minutes alone with her.   I assure you I shall find out everything she
knows about the rebel operations."
    Unable to hold
Fairfax's unearthly stare of frigid green, she sought humanity in Edward's
eyes.   "Cease this foolish
prattle.   You know King George is
my sovereign."
    Fairfax's
nostrils twitched.   "False loyals
profess fidelity to His Majesty even as the noose is draped round their
necks."
    Edward sounded
bored.   "Fairfax, as you
were."   The lieutenant subsided
into silence, a rare hound with the intelligence to curb his barking instinct,
but Sophie stayed tense.   Edward
scrutinized her.   "Show me your
lowercase e's."
    "Of
course.   I'll even help you find the
creased letter, but it's circumstantial evidence."   Pivoting, she did her best to flounce into
the pressroom, despite her fluttering heart.   Edward followed and observed while she sorted through a tray of
vowels.   "Someone burgled my house
last night while I was at the dance."
    "What was
stolen?"
    "One of my
father's books."
    "I believe
you know far too much about the dealings of these rebels to be considered
innocent."
    She barked a
laugh.   "My skill at deducing
what's missing from my house makes me suspect.   How logical.   What if I said two
Spaniards came banging on my door in the middle of the night?"
    "Spaniards."   An edge cut his voice.   "What did they want?"
    "Will St.
James.   My loaded pistol convinced them
to conduct their business in broad daylight."   Shutting the tray, she turned to him and deposited an
"e" in his hand.   "Here's
the evidence with which I may be damned."
    His hand closed
about the letter.   "I hate
arresting you, but you've been a passive accomplice in rebel operations."
    "He's my
father.   Am I supposed to betray my own
blood?"
    "Your 'own
blood' has vanished and allowed you to be implicated in his stead."
    She unclamped
her teeth.   "I presume you've
arrested those who assisted my father at printing?"
    "Unfortunately
not.   After being questioned, they've
not admitted to wrongdoing."
    And they had no
circumstantial evidence against them.   Enraged that culpability for rebel operations had fallen on her, she
wondered if she could shift the blame where it belonged.   "How may I prove my innocence?"
    He wrapped the
"e" in cloth, tucked it in his waistcoat pocket, and withdrew a small
piece of paper.   It bore a scrawled list
of numbers beginning seventeen, four, twenty-five, sixteen, forty-nine,
eleven .   "Does this mean
anything to you?"   She shook her
head.   "It's a cipher intended for
your father."
    "How do
you know that?   And where did you find
it?"
    He ignored her
questions.   "Our expert on codes
has yet to break it."   He handed
her the paper.   "Decode it within a
day.   Give me your word that you'll not
try to escape, and I shall let you remain under house arrest while you're
working on it."
    She gaped in
dismay from the numbers to him.   "What makes you think I can succeed where your expert failed?"
    "You know
your father better than we do.   Your
success will convince me of your innocence and exonerate you.   Otherwise, I must escort you to jail."
    "But you
still haven't told me how you know the cipher was intended for my father.   How do I know you aren't just sending me on
a fool's errand?"
    His voice
quieted.   "Trust me.   I'm allowing you house arrest, and that
involves considerable trust on my part."
    She
comprehended the