Page 46 of The Hazardous Measure of Love
‘Do you think one of them has made an improper advance to her?’
‘I don’t think it is that.’ Rowena worried her lower lip between her teeth for a moment, then blurted, ‘I think she knows who the killer is.’
‘Then why doesn’t she tell someone? She could tell you, or Lady Radcliffe, or me.’
‘I don’t know.’ Rowena shook her head in exasperation. ‘We could try asking her directly. Surely she’ll feel safe with us and away from Tillingham Hall?’
‘We had better get back,’ I said. ‘Otherwise Lady Radcliffe will think we are flirting with some handsome hedger.’
‘More likely a poacher,’ Rowena said with a flash of her old spirit.
Chapter Fourteen
When we were on our way again I asked if there was a viewpoint we could drive to. ‘It is so gloriously clear, I am sure we could see for miles.’
Arabella nodded. ‘It is rather steep, but the horses are fresh. The next turning on the left.’
We wound our way up through the heavy woodland, startling a herd of fallow deer that ran across our path, making the horses shy. I thought at one point we would have to get out and walk, but the pair were strong and steady and we emerged out of the woods onto sheep-cropped turf dotted with gorse bushes and a view that took the breath away.
‘We could take the carriage rug to sit on and go and admire the prospect from over there.’ Conscious of listening ears on the box I pointed to a level patch of grass near the edge.
‘What a good idea. It will rest the horses.’
We settled down at our chosen spot and I turned to Arabella. There didn’t seem to be any point in beating about the bush. ‘What are you frightened of?’ I asked. ‘Or should I say, who?’
She made a sound like a kitten whose tail has been trodden on. ‘What do you mean?’
‘You are as pale as flour, you have lost weight and you look utterly miserable,’ I said. ‘And I do not believe for a moment that you are grieving so deeply for Lord Tillingham that you can neither eat nor sleep.’
‘And you are as jumpy as a cat and are clearly uncomfortable when the gentlemen are present,’ Rowena said. ‘You aren’t unhappy, you are scared.’
‘You can tell us, my dear.’ Lady Radcliffe spoke kindly, Good Cop to our two Bad Cops. ‘We can protect you. We only want to get to the truth of all this.’
‘Do you know who the killer was?’ I demanded when all Arabella did was shake her head and look away.
‘Of course not! Nobody is frightening me. I want to go home.’
‘Then why do you not do so?’ Rowena said. ‘You were here for the funeral, nobody can expect more from you.’
‘Mama says I must stay. And Mrs Horace Prescott says so too.’
‘They want you to marry one of Horace’s sons,’ I said. ‘Percy probably, he’s the eldest. But you can always sayno.’
‘I think Percy is rather nice,’ Rowena said. ‘He has a sense of humour and he is kind. Don’t you like him?’
‘Yes.’ She almost wailed the response. ‘I daren’t. I daren’t. It isn’tsafe.’ And she burst into tears.
We mopped her up and hugged her and did our best to soothe her but, although Arabella stopped crying, she refused to say another word. In the end we gave up and walked back to the carriage with her sniffing miserably between us.
‘I feel as if I have been tormenting a kitten,’ Rowena whispered to me as we picked our way between the gorse bushes.
‘If the foolish girl would just tell us what is wrong, we could make it right,’ I murmured back.
‘I think she has worked herself into such a state that she simply is incapable of thinking logically,’ Rowena said and I feared she was correct. ‘Surely she can’t believe they areallkillers! Yet she bleats about not being safe with any of them.’
‘Send a message if you think we can help,’ I said.
‘I will. I know Adrien is worried about her too.’
