You would have been much too quick
for him."
You flatter me. I fear the simple truth
is that I was lucky." He took her arm
again and resumed guiding her back to the
house.
The footpad was of no particular
consequence, unless one considers the
damage done to my coat. But it is a
rather interesting coincidence."
What is? And how can you say the
attack on you was of no consequence?
It seems to me it could have had very
alarming consequences."
Yes, but the interesting part is the
coincidence of each of us having a rather
narrow escape just before you discovered
those objects with
W" inscribed on them."
She was stunned into a rare silence.
Lucas could almost hear her mind working
feverishly.
What do you make of such
coincidences?"
To
be
honest,
I
do
not
know
what
to make of them. There probably isn't
anything at all to be made of them. I
will admit it had occurred to me that
the footpad might have been hired by
Edge worth."
Edgeworth. Oh, yes, him. Because of
his embarrassing loss at cards? Do you
think he would have stooped to that sort
of vengeance just because he lost money
to you?"
Lucas reflected on his last conversation
with Edgeworth.
There was a bit more bad
blood between us than just the gaming
table scene. But even if he resorted to such
tactics, it still fails to explain the object you
discovered in the conservatory."
She frowned.
No. Nor does it tie in with
the carriage incident, although I suppose
that if that had been a deliberate attack
also, we might have been wrong in thinking
I was the intended victim."
You think I was the target?" He was
surprised by her insight and took a minute
to think about it.
I'm not sure.
Tis
possible. We were not standing very far
apart on the street when it happened."
Edgeworth again?"
Lucas chewed on that. On the night of
the carriage incident he and Edgeworth
had not yet had their confrontation over
Vicky's honor. But there was still the
matter of the gaming loss and Edgeworth
might have begun to realize his reputation
was declining in the clubs. And, of course,
there was always that bit of bad business in
the past that would forever stand between
them."
Possible," Lucas said finally.
But what could either of those attacks
have to do with my discovering the scarf
and the snuffbox?"
Do you know anyone whose name
begins with W?"
No. I mean, yes, of course. Several
people. As I said, none of them had lost
either item."
She rushed on, telling him about all the
people whose name began with
W and
how her aunt had talked to them all
about the missing items, but Lucas was
not listening.
His attention had been caught and
held by the strange note in her voice
when she had first answered the direct
question. Once before quite recently he
had heard that hesitation, detected that
slight distance, as if she did not want to
get too close to the question. He reflected
for another instant and then he had it. He
had heard it the night she described her
nightmare.
and she also checked with Lady
Wibberly, who takes an inordinate amount
of snuff. Lord Wilkins, too, I believe.
He wears scarves. And then we asked
Waterson, but to no avail."
Vicky."
One can never be certain Lord Waterson
remembers things all that well, however.
It is entirely possible he lost both items
and doesn't recall it. Always has his mind
on higher things like meteorology, you
know. He has built the most impressive
instrument for measuring rainfall."
Victoria."
As I said, what with my aunt's long list
of acquaintances, it is possible we missed
someone."
Vicky, darling, please hush for a minute.
I want to ask you a very particular question
and I would be very grateful if you gave me
a direct answer." He stopped, obliging her
to halt also. Then he turned her toward
him and caught hold of her shoulders.
Yes, Lucas?"
Vicky, is there someone whose name
begins with
W whom you do not like?
Someone who frightens you or whom
you feel you cannot trust? Someone who,
perhaps, makes you exceedingly anxious?"
No," she said instantly.
He smiled slightly at the obvious lie.
Try
again with your answer, my sweet. And
don't be afraid to tell me the truth. I'm
your midnight companion in adventure,
remember? You can tell me things you
would tell no one else."
Lucas, please, do not press me like this."
He urged her close, pushing her face into
his shirt. Her amber cloak swirled around
his legs.
Tell me, Vicky."
Her shoulders were stiff, her body
unyielding.
You do not understand."
Try me."
Lucas, he's dead."
Lucas frowned into her soft hair, hearing
the desperation in that simple statement.
He flipped through the information Jessica
Atherton had given him before he began
to stalk his heiress. It took him less
than a couple of seconds to hit upon a
name: Samuel Whitlock.
Are we, by any
chance," he asked gently,
talking about
your stepfather?"
She jerked her head back, making a
visible effort to pull herself together.
I
told you it was impossible. He is dead
and buried."
But you did not like him very much,
did you?"
Her eyes glittered in the moonlight.
I
hated him for what he did to my mother
and for what he would have done to me if
he'd gotten the chance. My mother saved
me from that lecherous bastard by sending
me to live with my aunt for most of my
life. But she could not save herself. In the
end, he killed her."
You believe your stepfather killed your
mother?"
Lucas's voice sounded amazingly calm,
Victoria thought. It was the sort of voice
in which he might have asked if she would
care for a glass of sherry before dinner. As
he spoke he draped an arm around her
shoulder and resumed walking toward the
house.
Yes. Yes, I do, although I have never
said as much to anyone except my aunt."
Victoria felt the heavy weight around her
shoulders and was oddly reassured. He
was so very strong, she thought fleetingly.
Comfortingly so.
She was not certain why Lucas's arm
around her had such a soothing effect,
but she didn't question it just then. She
was too busy reminding herself to be very
careful about what she said next. She had
already blurted out a great deal more than
she had ever intended.
What does your aunt think?"
Victoria clutched at the edges of her
cloak.
That
tis very possible. She knows
the sort of man he was. A cruel drunkard
who lacked any shred of decency. She
did point out that if he murdered her, it
would be interesting to know why Samuel
Whitlock waited so many years to do it.
Why did he not simply get it over and
done soon after he married my mother
and had access to her fortune?"
There may have been no real reason
to kill her in the early years," Lucas
said reflectively, as though working out
a curious puzzle in his mind.
After all,
as you said, he did have access to her
money. Why should he risk hanging for
murder?"
Victoria sighed.
That was Aunt Cleo's
point. My mother not only sent me to live
with my aunt, she frequently came to stay
with us for weeks, sometimes months at a
time. After she realized what sort of man
she had married, she spent as little time
with him as possible. When he got drunk
he got violent."
In other words, in addition to turning
her money over to him, she obligingly
stayed out of his way. So why kill her
after all those years?" Lucas asked.
Perhaps he simply got tired of her,"
Victoria said tightly.
Perhaps he got
especially angry at her one day and lost
his temper. He had a terrifying temper.
When he lost it, he lost his self-control
completely. He was like a madman."
/
Unlike Lucas, she thought fleetingly, who
was always controlled, even when he was
angry.
Your mother died in a riding accident,
I believe?"
Yes. Near his house in the country.
She had gone there to entertain his friends
that weekend. She had been staying with
Aunt Cleo and me for several weeks prior
to that, as usual, but Whitlock ordered
her to return for a few days to do her
duty as a wife, as he put it. My mother
was very beautiful, very charming, An
excellent hostess, in fact, and Whitlock
often used her to impress his friends,"
Victoria explained.
A riding accident sounds more like a
planned murder, not one done in the heat
of anger."
Victoria shrugged.
You may be right. I
only know he did it."
How do you know that?"