PRESQUE HOUSE, MAINE, JANUARY 1866
Once Helen decided on a thing, she put her heart and soul into it, Jack thought, at least until something else attracted her attention. Ever since he had mentioned his intention to capture Carmichael, Helen had come up with a succession of plans, each one more audacious than the last, from enticing him into the woods so Jack could hit him on the head to drugging his drink.
“He"s a clever man,” Jack said. “We"ll need something more subtle.”
“No,” Helen argued, shaking her head. “Straightforward is best. Come on, Jack, we"ve been at this for a week and resolved nothing.”
“I"ll think of something,” Jack said.
“That will be a change,” Helen retorted sharply. “You used to be so resourceful, Jack.”
The words stung as Jack walked away. It was hard to make
