On direct orders from Sir Thomas, the arrival of their visitor was not announced to the mistress of the house or to anyone else. This meeting was highly private. The message delivered to Sir Robert Musgrave not long after dawn had explained Sir Thomas’s genuine interest and willingness to help in whatever way he could to arrest the leaders of the local rebel faction. In addition, the former magistrate had hinted at methods and even informants that he was willing to share in order to guarantee success. By mid-morning, Musgrave was at Woodfield House, and whatever differences of opinion the two men had harbored before meant nothing now. They were both keen on achieving the same results. Sir Thomas listened intently to the new developments in Buttevant. And he was careful not to show any signs of surprise when the magistrate informed him that Jane and Sir Nicholas were the ones who had relocated the papist widow’s children. He was also told about the baronet coming back after the mother.
