Merciless Reason by Oisin McGann Page B

returned to her office and her heart lifted when she recognized the handwriting on the envelope. She could tell that the letter had been opened and resealed, but she had grown used to that. Gerald allowed her little privacy.
    Daisy did not open it immediately. Her hopes for the future hung on these letters, sent to her at regular intervals by Nate’s man, Clancy. Or, at least, the man who had once served Nate so devotedly, and who now searched for him with equal diligence. Ever since Nate’s disappearance, Daisy and Tatiana had waited impatiently for each letter from Clancy, hoping each time that it would announce that he had found his master and was bringing him home.
    It was unfair to leave Tatty out of this, but after a week of frustration over the church and her ordeal with Gerald on the roof, Daisy wanted this moment to herself. Closing the glass and wood door of her office, she sat down at the desk and laid the envelope in front of her, flattening the already-flat fold of ivory-colored paper with her fingers. Clancy had lovely handwriting—masculine, but elegant—and he insisted on using a high quality nib, always carrying his own ink.
    Daisy took a breath and let it out. It seemed a pity to spoil the glow of anticipation, but she supposed it was best to get the disappointment over with. She broke the wax seal, opened the envelope and drew out the single sheet of paper. The first few fines made her next breath catch in her throat:
    My Ladies,
    I have reached Boston, where I believe his Grace boarded a whaling ship several months previously. The vessel was set for a three- to four-year voyage depending on its catch. Having spoken to an officer of Her Majesty’s Navy, I have learned that the ship, the Odin, was sunk in stormy seas off the coast of New England, with all hands lost but one. This man was questioned, and claimed to have no knowledge of his Grace, or anyone matching his description.
    I have not given up hope that either the reports of his Grace boarding this ship were mistaken, or that he somehow survived unseen. I will endeavor to resolve the matter either way. At this point, however, I must confess that the trail has grown cold.
    My search continues, my ladies. As ever, I will keep you informed of my progress.
    Yours faithfully,
    Clancy
    Typical of the man, he never used his first name. Daisy bit her hand. Glancing towards the door of her office, she rose from her upholstered, walnut swivel chair and crossed the carpeted floor to the door, opening it and peering out into the corridor. There was no one about. She closed the door and clutched the letter to her breast.
    â€œYES!” she cried, jumping a couple of times on the spot.
    Composing herself, she waved the letter in front of her face to cool her flushed cheeks and then read it again. There could be no mistake. The report of Nate’s possible death had shaken her for a moment, but then there came that fine: ‘At this point, however, I must confess that the trail has grown cold .” Before he had left, Clancy had counseled against speaking openly in their correspondence, in case it should be read. Instead, they had agreed a series of sentences to transmit confidential signals. The sentence he had just used was one of these. Put simply, it meant: ‘ I have found him, and we are coming home. ”
    There was no telling how soon they would be here. They could well have come on the same ship as the letter, but Clancy would be too cautious to travel on a scheduled vessel. They would have to employ a great deal of stealth.
    Daisy bit her knuckle again, resisting the urge to let out another yell. She could play mind games with Gerald until the cows came home, but as women in the Wildenstern house there was nothing she or Tatty could do about going on the offensive against him. And their trusted cousin, Cathal, had no real power in the family. However, being offensive was Nathaniel’s area of expertise. With him, they