Page 22 of One Last Smile

“Oh, so he’s here for money.”

I realize what I’ve said and quickly apologize, but Veronica laughs it off. “Oh, dear, there’s no need to pretend. Money is always why he arrives. He’s a charming young man, and I enjoy his company, so I tolerate his presence, as does Sebastian. Sebastian will write him a check, he’ll leave with fanfare, and we’ll see him again when that money runs out.”

That she can so casually dismiss such a waste of money is astonishing to me. Perhaps they’ve decided that Alistair is less of a threat to their reputation if he’s allowed to gallivant off to parts unknown for months or years at a time.

Or perhaps he knows things that make keeping him sated more prudent than cutting him off.

“Ma’am… I know it’s not my business, but… I was cleaning Oliver’s room, and I came across some letters.”

“From Minerva?”

“Yes… and one from Oliver.”

She nods and sighs. “Yes. I warned him against that dalliance, but there’s no stopping young people who think they’re in love. It’s my fault. I allowed her to spend her days here. They were the same age, and until Oxford opened the campus here last half there were no other people their age. Of course, they fell in love. It ended badly, as all such youthful affairs do. Don’t tell Oliver you found the letters. He’ll be dreadfully embarrassed. You saw yesterday how he reacted when Alistair brought it up.”

I saw how you all reacted.

I hesitate before asking the next question, but I feel that I’m close to unraveling this mystery, or at least learning some crucial bit of information that will propel me to the next step in this investigation. So, I summon my courage and ask, “Why does Sebastian refuse to talk about her?”

She meets my eyes, and I’m afraid I’ve gone too far, but she only smiles wryly and says, “Sebastian is very careful with his reputation. When the news reported that Minerva was last seen alive here, the scandal was, as you can imagine, quite devastating for him. His solicitors fought madly to hush the affair up. They succeeded, of course. There’s nothing to be gained by hunting phantoms. The police realized that none of us were involved and chose not to waste their time.”

She pauses before continuing, “But the scandal lingers. You aren’t aware, of course, but in certain circles, we’re very well-known.” Her smile fades. “Now our reputation is tainted, and that is something Sebastian cannot forgive, especially since we’ve done nothing to earn that taint. He exaggerates his reaction, of course, but,” she waves her hand dismissively, “that is simply how he is.”

The doorbell rings, interrupting our conversation. “Another long-lost cousin?” I ask dryly.

Veronica laughs. “I sure hope not! We’ll let Hazel answer the door. She’ll tell us if it’s something that should concern us or if we can risk leaving our burrow.”

Hazel does answer the door. I’m too far away to hear what is said, but I can tell that the voice that responds is a man.

And that man is known to Veronica. When she hears him, her smile vanishes. She meets my eyes and says tightly. “Rupert Chalmers. Don’t be fooled by the mellow exterior, Mary. This man is nothing more than a cad.”

She plasters a fake smile and stands just as the door to the breakfast room opens. “Dr. Chalmers to see you, ma’am,” Hazel says before vanishing into the ether once more.

Dr. Rupert Chalmers is in his early forties, perhaps ten years younger than Veronica, and while not so tall or striking in appearance as Sebastian, he is quite handsome in his own right. If Sebastian has the devastating looks of a movie star or politician, Dr. Chalmers has the wise and earnest features of an academic.

And he’s in love with Veronica. The desperation in his eyes is better hidden than Alistair’s when he saw Eliza, but not hidden enough to escape my gaze. When Veronica embraces him, he holds tighter than he should and for longer. When she releases him, he smiles and asks, “How are you, Veronica?” without even looking in my direction. I don’t think he’s even noticed me.

He notices me a moment later when Veronica says, “I’m wonderful, dear. Unfortunately, I’m also late. Feel free to stay and enjoy some tea with Mary, but I must get to the office now or we shall never finish preparations for our gala.”

“Oh.” He looks at me, and the disappointment in his eyes is almost endearing. Poor man. He recovers quickly and smiles. “Well, I’m sure I’ll find Mary wonderful company.”

“Of course you will! I’ll see you later, dear.” She leaves the room, mouthing I’m sorry to me on her way out.

Well, Dr. Chalmers isn’t in love with me, so I’m sure I won’t find him as annoying as Veronica does. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Doctor,” I say. “I’m Lucas’s tutor.”

“Ah, yes.” He looks around. “Is he here today?”

“No, I’m afraid that all three of the Carlton children are with their cousin Alistair in Madrid.”

I realize my mistake instantly. Dr. Chalmers’s smile vanishes, and he says coldly, “I see.” Eliza must not have told him after all.

“So how do you know the family?” I ask, hoping to move past the faux pas.

“I have been a friend of Veronica’s for many years,” he says, “long before Sebastian was in the picture.” There’s no mistaking the bitterness in that reply. “I now employ Eliza as my personal assistant. I may have to reconsider that, however. She told me she was taking time off for a family emergency. I came by to make sure Veronica wasn’t alone to worry over her brother, but it seems that Eliza’s uncle isn’t taken suddenly ill.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” I say, face burning. “I’ve intruded. It really is none of my business.”

“No need to apologize,” Dr. Chalmers says. “You couldn’t have known.” Then, perhaps to reassure me, “I won’t fire Eliza. I’ll give her a stern talking-to, but she knows she’s too valuable to replace. After Minerva went missing, she was a lifesaver to me.”

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