moment’s pause, ‘I wish for your assistance.’
‘You wish me to help you…’
‘… find Miss Verney.’ He smiled and tapped his stick against the leg of the bench. ‘Well, there is nobody quite like you for poking about. That is, Miss Kent,’ with an elaborate bow, ‘there is no one quite like you for solving puzzles.’
She coloured – a circumstance which did not go unnoticed by the watchful dowager, who now touched her companion upon the arm and pointed out the couple with a very meaning turn of the eyes.
‘I thank you for the compliment, sir,’ said Dido. ‘But, I fear I must decline the commission.’ She would not, for the world, have him think that any trouble she took in the business was undertaken for his convenience.
‘Damn it!’ he cried fretfully. ‘I need someone to help me. I am persona non grata at Charcombe Manor now. I cannot even set foot over the threshold. I can do nothing to prove my own innocence.’
‘Hmm.’
‘You do not believe me!’ he cried resentfully. ‘You think I am lying about taking Letitia back to Charcombe Manor.’
Dido looked out over the cliff’s edge, beyond the sands and the bathing machines to the sea and a distant ship with its gleaming white sails and circling retinue of gulls. ‘In point of fact,’ she admitted, ‘I am rather inclined to believe your account of the young lady’s return. Or rather, I think that you believe it to be true – I do not think that you are deliberately lying.’
‘Why, I am glad to find I have your good opinion!’
She kept her eyes upon the ship. ‘I certainly have a very good opinion of your prudence.’
‘By which, you mean to say that you think me selfish and scheming.’
‘I have certainly had the pleasure of your acquaintance long enough to know that you are no fool. And I am quite sure that if you had persuaded Miss Verney into an elopement you would have found a better method of concealment.’ She met his eyes. ‘Something safer than this extraordinary story of her returning to the house – a story which seems to cry you out a liar to the whole world.’
‘Now that,’ he said, ‘is a point well made.’ And, just for a moment – for no more than the space of a heartbeat – he brought the tips of his fingers together in a considering gesture; a gesture which was so very suggestive of his father that Dido drew back, confused and uncomfortable. ‘So, you will help me prove my innocence?’ he urged.
‘Ah! Pardon me, sir, but I did not quite say that I believe in your innocence. ’
‘But if you do not think—’
‘I do not think you are lying. But – if I may be frank upon this matter—’
‘Oh, I beg that you will!’ he cried. ‘There should be no secrets between you and me.’
‘Very well, then. I confess that I remain uneasy about your behaviour towards Miss Verney. In the past, Mr Lomax, I have found myself unable to approve some aspects of your conduct. I have had reason to suppose you mercenary in your search for a bride.’
Tom threw back his head and laughed.
‘Do you deny it?’ she asked. ‘Do you deny that you are trying for a match with Miss Verney, for the sake of her fortune?’
Tom prodded thoughtfully at a broken fragment of stone with the tip of his cane. ‘I deny that I have abducted Miss Verney.’
‘But you do not deny that you are pursuing her fortune?’
‘No, I don’t deny it.’
‘Well, then, you will certainly get no help from me in your scheme. But I may attempt to seek out the facts surrounding Miss Verney’s odd disappearance – in order that she may be found and restored to her friends.’
He smiled at that.
Dido did not like his seeming so happy. Mr Tom’s happiness was too often secured through the suffering of someone else. ‘But,’ she added firmly, ‘I shall do nothing at all to promote your marriage to Miss Verney.’
He sneered and rattled his cane against a leg of the bench. ‘That might be a little ill-advised, Miss
‘You wish me to help you…’
‘… find Miss Verney.’ He smiled and tapped his stick against the leg of the bench. ‘Well, there is nobody quite like you for poking about. That is, Miss Kent,’ with an elaborate bow, ‘there is no one quite like you for solving puzzles.’
She coloured – a circumstance which did not go unnoticed by the watchful dowager, who now touched her companion upon the arm and pointed out the couple with a very meaning turn of the eyes.
‘I thank you for the compliment, sir,’ said Dido. ‘But, I fear I must decline the commission.’ She would not, for the world, have him think that any trouble she took in the business was undertaken for his convenience.
‘Damn it!’ he cried fretfully. ‘I need someone to help me. I am persona non grata at Charcombe Manor now. I cannot even set foot over the threshold. I can do nothing to prove my own innocence.’
‘Hmm.’
‘You do not believe me!’ he cried resentfully. ‘You think I am lying about taking Letitia back to Charcombe Manor.’
Dido looked out over the cliff’s edge, beyond the sands and the bathing machines to the sea and a distant ship with its gleaming white sails and circling retinue of gulls. ‘In point of fact,’ she admitted, ‘I am rather inclined to believe your account of the young lady’s return. Or rather, I think that you believe it to be true – I do not think that you are deliberately lying.’
‘Why, I am glad to find I have your good opinion!’
She kept her eyes upon the ship. ‘I certainly have a very good opinion of your prudence.’
‘By which, you mean to say that you think me selfish and scheming.’
‘I have certainly had the pleasure of your acquaintance long enough to know that you are no fool. And I am quite sure that if you had persuaded Miss Verney into an elopement you would have found a better method of concealment.’ She met his eyes. ‘Something safer than this extraordinary story of her returning to the house – a story which seems to cry you out a liar to the whole world.’
‘Now that,’ he said, ‘is a point well made.’ And, just for a moment – for no more than the space of a heartbeat – he brought the tips of his fingers together in a considering gesture; a gesture which was so very suggestive of his father that Dido drew back, confused and uncomfortable. ‘So, you will help me prove my innocence?’ he urged.
‘Ah! Pardon me, sir, but I did not quite say that I believe in your innocence. ’
‘But if you do not think—’
‘I do not think you are lying. But – if I may be frank upon this matter—’
‘Oh, I beg that you will!’ he cried. ‘There should be no secrets between you and me.’
‘Very well, then. I confess that I remain uneasy about your behaviour towards Miss Verney. In the past, Mr Lomax, I have found myself unable to approve some aspects of your conduct. I have had reason to suppose you mercenary in your search for a bride.’
Tom threw back his head and laughed.
‘Do you deny it?’ she asked. ‘Do you deny that you are trying for a match with Miss Verney, for the sake of her fortune?’
Tom prodded thoughtfully at a broken fragment of stone with the tip of his cane. ‘I deny that I have abducted Miss Verney.’
‘But you do not deny that you are pursuing her fortune?’
‘No, I don’t deny it.’
‘Well, then, you will certainly get no help from me in your scheme. But I may attempt to seek out the facts surrounding Miss Verney’s odd disappearance – in order that she may be found and restored to her friends.’
He smiled at that.
Dido did not like his seeming so happy. Mr Tom’s happiness was too often secured through the suffering of someone else. ‘But,’ she added firmly, ‘I shall do nothing at all to promote your marriage to Miss Verney.’
He sneered and rattled his cane against a leg of the bench. ‘That might be a little ill-advised, Miss
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