'Perhaps that is the trouble,' the marchioness said, her voice bitter. For once her mask of gentle sweetness was down. 'Everyone has always loved Joshua. Everyone has always believed every word he spoke. No one-not even my husband-would press for a further investigation into what happened that night. Albert went to confront Joshua over his blatant immorality and corruption of our servants, and Albert died. Joshua was the last to see him alive. Is that not suspicious enough to put doubt into anyone's mind?'
'I know everyone was lying,' Chastity said, raising her voice and speaking very distinctly even though her eyes were directed at the floor, 'because there was no one out that night, either on water or on land, to witness what happened-no one except Joshua and Albert. And me.'
Good Lord! Joshua fixed his startled attention on her, as did everyone else. What was this?
'I saw what happened,' Chastity said. 'Only me.'
'And me too, Chastity,' Anne Jewell said quietly. 'I was with you.'
What the devil?
Chastity frowned at her but did not contradict her.
'I walked to the village,' Chastity said. 'I knew Albert was going to talk to Joshua, and I followed. I went to Miss Jewell's house first, and then the two of us went to Joshua's. But we discovered that they had taken a boat out. We went down onto the harbor to wait for them to return. Clouds had already covered the sky and the wind was getting up. There was no one else about. I had a gun with me.'
'What?'
The marchioness fell back in her chair, but no one paid her any attention and so she appeared to decide against swooning.
'We were sheltering from the wind beside one of the boats when we saw Joshua coming back,' Chastity said. 'He was rowing. At first we thought that Albert was not with him, but then we could see him swimming beside the boat. When they were close to shore, Joshua rowed away again and Albert waded toward the harbor.'
'Thank you, Chass,' Joshua said firmly, taking a step forward. 'That is all that needs to be said. It confirms what I have said all along. Shall we-'
Freyja had got up from her chair and come close enough to set a hand on his sleeve.
'We need to know what happened to Albert, then,' Calvin said, 'if indeed he came safely to shore at that point.'
'I confronted him,' Chastity said. 'With the gun. I pointed it at him and would not let him out of the water. I told him he could stay there and freeze until he had promised to go to Papa and confess and until he had promised to leave Penhallow and never return.'
'Oh, Chass,' Constance said. She gazed at Anne Jewell, a look of pain on her face. 'It was Albert who fathered your son, was it not? I suppose I have always known it. I just did not want to know it, though I never believed it was Joshua.'
'Wicked girl!' the marchioness exclaimed, glaring at Chastity. 'I will never believe it. Never! And if this-this whore says it is so, she is a liar. And so is Joshua. But even if it were so, would you threaten your own brother, your own flesh and blood, with death or banishment merely because he had taken his pleasure with a woman who was asking for it, always making sheep's eyes at him and tempting him away from the nursery to see something in the schoolroom. Oh, yes, miss. Do not think I did not notice.'
'There was no bullet hole in the body,' Sir Rees said. 'Your brother drowned, Lady Chastity.'
'He laughed at me,' she said. 'He said he did not need to come ashore, that he intended to swim some more because it was such a lovely night. He waded back into the water and swam away.' She covered her face with both hands. 'If anyone killed him, I did.'
Constance leaped to her feet and hurried across the room to draw her sister into her arms. Chastity sagged against her for a moment, but then she pushed her gently away.
'It was not just because of Miss Jewell,' she said, 'though that was bad enough. But Miss Jewell fell prey to Albert only because she deliberately drew him away from the nursery to the schoolroom.'
'Ha!' the marchioness said, describing a large arc with one arm.
'Chastity,' Anne Jewell warned. 'Please, my dear.'
'Chass,' Joshua said. 'Leave it there. Enough has been said now. Leave it.'
'I was glad when I found out he was dead,' Chastity said. 'I was glad. God help me, I am still glad. Prue was thirteen years old. Thirteen! And his own sister. But he thought that because she had a child's mind and a child's willingness to please and to do whatever she was told, he could get away with doing anything he wished with her. I am . . . I am almost sorry that he did not give me good cause to shoot him.'
The marchioness shrieked and fell back in her chair, and this time Constance took notice of her and hurried toward her to take one of her hands in both her own. Chastity sagged against the desk. Calvin cleared his throat.
'I am sorry too, Chastity,' Freyja said. 'I honor you.'
'For what my word is worth,' Anne Jewell said, 'I corroborate everything Lady Chastity has said.'
Sir Rees Newton rose to his feet. 'I have heard enough,' he said. 'I thank you for inviting me here, Lady Chastity, to hear these dreadful family secrets. I did not doubt Lord Hallmere's story, but your account of what happened has banished any shred of doubt that may have lingered. You are not responsible for your brother's death. As a magistrate I absolve you of all blame. As for the pain surrounding the whole tragedy and its revelation tonight to those who did not know before, well, that is none of my concern. I will leave you all and return to my good wife in the ballroom.'
He bowed and left the room without further ado.
'That girl, that Prudence,' the marchioness said, pushing Constance aside and sitting forward in her chair, 'is to be taken from this house and locked up in an asylum where she belongs. This would never have happened if she
