wise, Anna. It’s over now. All it will ever be is an unsolved mystery.”
“People will still talk.”
“A fig for gossips.” He moved away then, and began to leave.
“Can I ask just one more question?”
He halted warily. “Yes, though I don’t promise to answer it.”
“How did your father die? It was within days of Lady Delabury’s death.”
His features hardened. “The event killed him. Perhaps his sickness had been more serious than we thought, but I don’t think so. As soon as he had word of Lady Delabury’s death, he rushed to London. His heart gave out on the way.”
“I have another question.”
His lips twitched. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?”
“I don’t understand Lady Delabury. Her husband was apparently young, handsome, and in love with her. Why was she having an affair with an elderly man? And what did she hope to gain from her mock suicide?”
“I’m pleased to see that some human behavior still perplexes you, Anna. My father at the time was only forty-five. That may seem ancient to you, but he was a fine figure of a man. One could ask rather why she married Delabury at all.” He looked into the distance. “She wanted marriage, I think. She wanted a title. I suspect she was rather naive. She lived quietly with her parents before her marriage, then married someone very like the heroes of her novels. I’m sure she thought she would find the blissful happiness that occurred at the end of her stories, but instead was rather disappointed. Then she met my father and discovered she was a woman who finds older men attractive. Moreover, she found adoration boring and challenge stimulating.”
“That seems very strange to me.”
He smiled at her. “So it should. You, of course, have daydreams about handsome young gallants with pure hearts and the most noble of intentions.”
She had daydreams about him, but she muttered, “I suppose so.”
“Is the mystery solved to your satisfaction?”
Anna touched the door. “I’m still not quite sure how they had this made without raising suspicion.”
“Delabury still has no idea about the door, but I asked him about the room. Apparently Lady Delabury asked that such a room be made and he agreed. She even specified the firm to do the work. That firm was the one regularly employed by my father, so it must have been collusion. He was clearly infatuated beyond all sense …”
When he broke off, she feared he would not complete the tale, but he carried on. “At the same time that this room was made, he had renovations done to his house, including his bedroom. I talked to the builder, who still has responsibility for the maintenance of the terrace. It was simply a matter of keeping mouths shut about a little extra detail in the work. Straightforward enough for the builder in return for the job of looking after all the earldom’s property in London.”
“Oh. It is rather disappointing that in the end everything turns out to be so rational and lacking in drama.”
He shook his head, smiling. “There’s been enough drama for me, I assure you. You would rather I be meeting De-labury at dawn?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
“I suppose I ’d rather there was a wicked villain to suffer an appropriately grisly fate.”
“But this is life, not a novel, Anna, and there’s trouble enough in the world without looking for more. Certainly no good would be served by dragging my invalid mother before the courts.” He stepped backward. “Now, this time it really is farewell, Anna. I don’t want to risk suspicion by having the builders in to seal this door, but I will if I have to. I want your word that you will not use it again under any circumstances.”
Anna gathered her courage. “I love you, you know.”
He met her eyes. “I hope you don’t. It is—”
“Just infatuation,” she completed bitterly. “A girl of my age is capable of love, you know. In the past, girls were married younger than sixteen!”
He put his hand hard
“People will still talk.”
“A fig for gossips.” He moved away then, and began to leave.
“Can I ask just one more question?”
He halted warily. “Yes, though I don’t promise to answer it.”
“How did your father die? It was within days of Lady Delabury’s death.”
His features hardened. “The event killed him. Perhaps his sickness had been more serious than we thought, but I don’t think so. As soon as he had word of Lady Delabury’s death, he rushed to London. His heart gave out on the way.”
“I have another question.”
His lips twitched. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?”
“I don’t understand Lady Delabury. Her husband was apparently young, handsome, and in love with her. Why was she having an affair with an elderly man? And what did she hope to gain from her mock suicide?”
“I’m pleased to see that some human behavior still perplexes you, Anna. My father at the time was only forty-five. That may seem ancient to you, but he was a fine figure of a man. One could ask rather why she married Delabury at all.” He looked into the distance. “She wanted marriage, I think. She wanted a title. I suspect she was rather naive. She lived quietly with her parents before her marriage, then married someone very like the heroes of her novels. I’m sure she thought she would find the blissful happiness that occurred at the end of her stories, but instead was rather disappointed. Then she met my father and discovered she was a woman who finds older men attractive. Moreover, she found adoration boring and challenge stimulating.”
“That seems very strange to me.”
He smiled at her. “So it should. You, of course, have daydreams about handsome young gallants with pure hearts and the most noble of intentions.”
She had daydreams about him, but she muttered, “I suppose so.”
“Is the mystery solved to your satisfaction?”
Anna touched the door. “I’m still not quite sure how they had this made without raising suspicion.”
“Delabury still has no idea about the door, but I asked him about the room. Apparently Lady Delabury asked that such a room be made and he agreed. She even specified the firm to do the work. That firm was the one regularly employed by my father, so it must have been collusion. He was clearly infatuated beyond all sense …”
When he broke off, she feared he would not complete the tale, but he carried on. “At the same time that this room was made, he had renovations done to his house, including his bedroom. I talked to the builder, who still has responsibility for the maintenance of the terrace. It was simply a matter of keeping mouths shut about a little extra detail in the work. Straightforward enough for the builder in return for the job of looking after all the earldom’s property in London.”
“Oh. It is rather disappointing that in the end everything turns out to be so rational and lacking in drama.”
He shook his head, smiling. “There’s been enough drama for me, I assure you. You would rather I be meeting De-labury at dawn?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
“I suppose I ’d rather there was a wicked villain to suffer an appropriately grisly fate.”
“But this is life, not a novel, Anna, and there’s trouble enough in the world without looking for more. Certainly no good would be served by dragging my invalid mother before the courts.” He stepped backward. “Now, this time it really is farewell, Anna. I don’t want to risk suspicion by having the builders in to seal this door, but I will if I have to. I want your word that you will not use it again under any circumstances.”
Anna gathered her courage. “I love you, you know.”
He met her eyes. “I hope you don’t. It is—”
“Just infatuation,” she completed bitterly. “A girl of my age is capable of love, you know. In the past, girls were married younger than sixteen!”
He put his hand hard
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