“Good heavens, I don’t know what possible help I could be to you on business matters,” Letitia said. “I don’t know anything at all about them. I’m sure you should do whatever you think is best.”
Potter gave Dudley a glance that said he wished him in Hades, and then he looked back at Letitia and spoke with the patience of one addressing a slow child. “I’m afraid it’s not that simple,” he said apologetically. “There are some things you need to know, things that will affect your future.”
“Oh, yes,” she said with sudden interest. “I’ve been giving the matter of my future some thought, and I’ve decided I want to sell this house, Amos.”
Potter winced, and Sarah felt a measure of pity for him. The news he would have to break to her would be shocking. “Are you planning to move back to your father’s house?” he asked hopefully.
Letitia’s gaze drifted to Dudley, whose fair complexion showed every emotion. He turned bright red and dropped his gaze.
“I… I haven’t really decided yet,” Letitia said. “But in any case, I don’t need such a grand house anymore.”
“Yes, of course, well, that’s something we’ll need to discuss privately,” he emphasized again. Although he was speaking to Letitia, this time he was watching Dudley. He seemed finally to be getting the entire picture, and he clearly didn’t like it one bit. “Mr. Dudley, I don’t recall ever hearing Mrs. Blackwell speak of you. How long have you known her?”
“I…” Dudley looked to Letitia for guidance, but she just frowned. She wasn’t certain how much to tell Potter either. “I’ve known her for… for several years.”
Potter fingered the Phi Beta Kappa key that hung from his watch chain. “When I was at Harvard, I knew a fellow named Dudley. From Providence. Would you by any chance be a relation?”
“No, I don’t think so,” Dudley admitted, visibly impressed by the mention of Harvard. “I mean, certainly not.”
“Letitia said she knew you from her hometown. Is that where you still live?” Potter inquired.
“No, I…” Again he looked at Letitia, and again he got no assistance. “I live here in the city now. I… I saw the notice of Dr. Blackwell’s death in the newspaper and came to pay my condolences.”
Sarah hadn’t believed that lie the last time he told it, and Potter seemed equally skeptical. He glanced at Sarah-or rather at the baby she still held-and back at Dudley. “I hope you’ve found a suitable position here. If not, I have many connections. Perhaps I can be of assistance in locating one for you.”
“That’s very kind of you, Amos,” Letitia quickly replied, “but Mr. Dudley has an excellent position.”
“Oh, really?” Potter asked skeptically. Dudley’s clothes alone bespoke poverty, and his manner betrayed his lack of breeding. “And where are you situated?”
Dudley stammered the name of the bank where he worked. It was a small establishment, and he was understandably embarrassed to name it. Sarah supposed his position was far from excellent, too.
Potter frowned. “I don’t believe I know where that bank is located.”
Dudley gave him the address, looking even more ashamed.
“I see,” Potter said, his tone telling Dudley that he saw everything about him. The young man had, in Potter’s opinion, no right whatsoever to be sitting in Letitia Blackwell’s parlor. If Potter had, indeed, figured out that Dudley had also fathered her child, Sarah couldn’t even imagine what else he must be thinking.
Sarah imagined she saw hate radiating from Potter’s dumpy frame, but perhaps she was being fanciful. Did he know that Letitia had been running away with a lover when she’d been injured? Had he been able to put the whole story together in his mind? Would that change his adoration of Letitia Blackwell? Such a response would be logical, of course, but for some reason, men never resorted to logic in their dealings with women.
“How long have you lived in our fair city, Mr. Dudley,” Potter asked. He wasn’t very good at feigning amiability, but Dudley wasn’t very perceptive either.
“Almost two years, now, I guess it is. It’s very different from the country, but I’m getting used to it.”
“Does your family like the city or do they prefer living in Westchester?”
“I… I don’t have any family,” Dudley said, a little disconcerted.
“You’re not married, then?” Potter said in apparent surprise. “What about your parents? Do they come down to the city to visit you?”
“I… No, I…”
“Mr. Dudley’s parents are dead,” Letitia quickly explained.
“I’m sorry to hear it,” Potter said, still addressing Dudley. “No wonder you were so sensitive to Letitia’s grief. You were very kind to visit her. Were you acquainted with Dr. Blackwell at all?”
“No, I… We never met.” It was apparent that Dudley was growing increasingly uncomfortable with the endless questions. Sarah wasn’t sure what Potter was trying to determine, but perhaps he wasn’t either. Maybe he just wanted to find out whatever he could in an effort to identify some weakness in the man whom he instinctively recognized as a rival for Letitia’s hand.
“It’s a pity you never met Dr. Blackwell,” Potter was saying. “He was very gifted. Letitia wouldn’t be sitting here with us if he hadn’t helped her after her terrible accident. Isn’t that right, Letitia?”
“I… Yes,” she admitted reluctantly. She was also uncomfortable. Sarah imagined that talking about your dead husband in front of the lover with whom you had betrayed him might be difficult. Add to this that Dudley had been involved in her accident, and she must be wishing the floor would open and swallow her up.
“We’ll always be grateful for what he did to cure Letitia,” Dudley said in an effort to be agreeable.
But Potter didn’t miss the fact that Dudley had used her given name. He didn’t like it, either. “Apparently someone wasn’t grateful for something he did, or Edmund would still be alive,” he noted.
“Do we have to speak of Edmund’s death?” Letitia protested weakly.
“Does it upset you?” Potter asked in apparent concern.
“It was so… so unpleasant,” Letitia said.
“Murder is always unpleasant,” Sarah offered, and everyone looked at her in surprise. They had apparently forgotten she was there.
“But this one was particularly so,” Potter said with an odd disregard for Letitia’s sensibilities. “It must have been horrible for you, finding him that way.”
Letitia had the grace to look pale, but perhaps she was just remembering all the blood. Heaven knew, she probably hadn’t shed many tears over her husband’s demise. “I shall never be able to get that image out of my head,” she said faintly.
Instinctively, both men leaned forward to comfort her. Fearing they might collide, Sarah quickly spoke up. “Mr. Granger is quite upset that he didn’t get home first to spare you that shock.”
The men both caught themselves before actually touching Letitia, but Sarah wasn’t sure if this was because of their own good sense or if her interruption had jolted them back to propriety.
Potter looked at her in confusion, probably having once again forgotten she was there. “Who is Mr. Granger?”
“The butler,” Sarah said, smiling innocently. “He takes his responsibilities very seriously, and he’s usually home before Mrs. Blackwell on Wednesdays. But he said she came home earlier than usual that day, which is why she was the one to, uh, to find Dr. Blackwell. He’s actually made himself sick worrying over it.”
“I didn’t feel well that afternoon,” Letitia remembered. “That’s why I came home earlier than usual.”
She glanced at Dudley, who was red again. Neither of them wished to discuss Letitia’s activities of that afternoon, especially in front of Potter. Sarah wondered if there was a particular reason, other than the obvious one of Letitia’s infidelity.
Why
Fortunately, the baby started fussing again, bringing an end to her fancies. Malloy would certainly find some flaw with her scenario, but Sarah thought it merited consideration, at least. She still liked the theory of the desperate lovers disposing of an unwanted husband, and neither of them had a dependable alibi for the afternoon of the murder. Besides, she liked them less and less each time she saw them, she decided as she tried to soothe the fretful child.
