The adulteress

I went back to Eversleigh and thought: What shall I do now?

I had lost my lover but my problem remained. I must stand and face it alone.

I need not worry about Charles now. Nothing could harm him. But Dickon was still in a position to blackmail me, to have me accused of murder.

I felt numb ... sometimes not caring what he did... . Only wishing to save Lottie.

But how could I save Lottie? If I stood convicted as a murderess would that make her turn even more to Dickon?

There was another tragedy. We discovered on the morning after the fire that Miss Carter was missing. Several people had seen her in the hospital and no one had seen her afterward; it could only be assumed that she must have been one of the victims. Lottie was very upset. She had been fond of Miss Carter for all that she had poked gentle fun at her.

Life had to go on. I was alone now.

I thought: And Dickon is here ... in this house. And what will happen when he comes face to face with James Fenton, as he decidedly must?

Will James want to leave?

Trivial problems, perhaps, compared with the great one which stared me in the face.

Lottie's future ... with Dickon. I could not bear to think of that.

He sought me out, as he said, for a little chat... . He was as suave and nonchalant as ever.

"A great tragedy this fire. All the doctor's good work gone up in smoke."

"His career, which you were planning to ruin ... over."

"I was only planning to ruin it if you would not be sensible. I did give you the chance, didn't I?"

"Oh, Dickon ... life is so tragic ... can't you just try to let us be at peace for a while."

"My dearest cousin, it is what I wish more than anything. We will all be happy here at Eversleigh."

"Do you want it as much as all that, Dickon?"

"I want it completely and absolutely. I always made up my mind it would be mine. And it should be, Zipporah. I'm one of the family. I am the man of the family. It was crazy of Uncle Carl to leave it to you when I was there. I know my father was a damned Jacobite ... but so was your grandfather .. . the most damned and mighty of them all. It's madness. It belongs to me and I intend to have it."

"Using Lottie as the means to get it."

"And at the same time making a very good husband to Lottie."

"I know what you're like. You'd never be faithful to her."

He cocked an eyebrow and looked at me quizzically. "Infidelity ... what does it matter if the wronged doesn't know, eh? And it happens where you'd least expect it."

He had silenced me, as he knew he would.

"But to marry like this ... so calculatedly."

"One should always calculate on important matters. Lottie wants it. I couldn't achieve it otherwise, could I?"

"You have taken advantage of her youth to present yourself as some sort of hero."

"I'm a buccaneer by nature. Lottie was a challenge. ... I could never resist them. I'm sorry you've lost your doctor."

"His death makes your blackmailing less effective. I have only myself to think of now. I do not care very much what happens to me. I am going to tell Lottie everything. I am going to tell her that you are blackmailing me ... that you want to marry her solely because she is the heiress to Eversleigh. I could cut her out of my will."

"To whom would you leave Eversleigh then? You couldn't leave it outside the family, could you? Uncle Carl couldn't, although he wanted it for his housekeeper-mistress. No ... I'm the rightful heir. All the Eversleighs would rise up in their graves and tell you so. A bit of a rogue ... but then most of us are. We are all sinners, even those who seem most virtuous. I'll tell you something. It was your Miss Carter who started the fire at the hospital."

"I don't believe it."

"It's true. I could have saved her ... but she wouldn't be saved. She was a challenge, wasn't she? The prim virtuous spinster. It was wrong, I know ... but I couldn't resist."

"You mean that you ... ?"

"Yes ... you've guessed it. The lady lost her virginity at Clavering. I have a good line in seduction for earnest spinsters."

"You are a fiend."