Page 37 of One Last Smile

“I think you’re threatening yourself with that, not me. I’m perfectly content to live my life knowing that Minerva Montclair was probably kidnapped, murdered, and buried in an unmarked grave. So why aren’t you?”

“Because I’m not a horrible person!”

“You’re not a saint either. No more than anyone is. So why?”

I start to walk away again, and he says, “You came out here to ask me questions, but you won’t answer mine? Tit for tat, Mary. That’s how the world works for people that are equals, and that’s what you and I are whether you care to admit it or not.”

I whirl on him. “Because it offends me that people like the Carltons can kill someone and get away with it for no other reason than that they’re wealthy.”

“I’m sure it does, but I don’t think that’s why you’ve chosen Minnie as your pet crusade. There’s plenty of people get offed by the wealthy and are never seen again. I daresay the Carltons have done no more than any other rich family and probably less than most. Do you go to every family you work for and try to dig up their skeletons?”

“I’m two for two so far,” I say brittlely.

“Well, then I’d expect a short lifespan if I were you.”

“Everyone dies. That’s the short version of what you said, isn’t it?”

“Lots of people get murdered by rich people who never suffer for it is what I said. But I want to know why you think that you should find out who—”

“Because my sister disappeared twenty-eight years ago, and I gave up on her.”

My lower lip starts to tremble, and I lower my head. I don’t want him to see me cry, though, so I lift it again and meet his eyes, forcing the tears to dry before they can fall. “Well, you’ve gotten your gossip,” I say bitterly. “Now tell me what I want to know.”

If it’s any credit to him, Niall does look uncomfortable. I’m not sure what he expected me to say, but the confession about Annie was apparently different from his idea of my motives.

God, I hate that he forced that out of me! That’s my business! Mine and no one else’s! I’m sick of having people pry into my personal life!

The hypocrisy of that statement isn’t lost on me and only serves to sour my mood. “If you’ve got nothing to say, at least do me the favor of letting me know so I can take my leave of you as fast as I possibly can.”

“No, I’ll say something,” he replies, in a far more subdued voice than before. His hands are in his pockets, and he shuffles from side to side. “Thought you was just jealous.”

“You thought I would investigate a murder because I’m jealous?”

“Well, I’m jealous. If my great-great-grandda’ had had a smarter head for business, it might be me up in that pretty little house and not Sebastian Carlton.”

I stare at him, not bothering to hide my disdain. “And you thought I was just as petty as you.”

He lifts a wounded gaze to me and says, “I said I’d help. As much as I can, leastways. I’m sorry about your sister. If I’da known, I wouldn’t have teased you.”

I sigh and press my fingers to my temples. “Just tell me what you know.”

“I know they were fighting. All of them. Before Minnie died, they were all fighting. She was fighting with Eliza and Oliver. Eliza was fighting with Oliver and Veronica. Oliver was fighting with Veronica too. They were all fighting with Rupert.”

I lift my gaze to his. “Rupert? Rupert Chalmers? The doctor?”

“Aye, that’s right. He came over a few times, and they were fighting with him too. Sebastian was fighting with everyone. I think he was more upset that they had brought scandal than he was about whatever that scandal was.”

I think I have an idea. “And you have no idea why they were fighting?”

He shakes his head. “I never paid it mind until after Minnie went missing. To tell the truth, I thought it was another spat about something foolish, like whose dress was prettier or who got a better spot in the dining room at the Chateau Cotswold. I didn’t consider it might be more serious until Alistair showed up.”

My ears perk up. “Alistair? Why’s that?”

“He’s a shady one, that’s why. He smiles and laughs and flops around like a jester, but he’s a cunning one. He’s managed to live off of their money for his whole adult life now, but I don’t think he’s living for free.”

“You think the Carltons hired him to kill Minnie?”

“I don’t think it was nothing so crude as that. I think they mentioned they had a problem and that they’d be grateful for the problem to go away. I think he saw his chance, flew over here, and took it. Mind you, that’s all speculation. All I know for sure is that they were all fighting bad just before she died.”

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