“You won’t help me because you don’t believe in him.”
“I will help you, Rosetta, because I believe in you.”
“I don’t know what that means, Lucas.”
“It means that I’ll help you all I can, but I think you have set yourself a hopeless task and one which could be dangerous.”
“If you think it could be dangerous you must believe in Simon’s innocence. Otherwise the people in that house would have nothing to hide.”
“Yes, that may be so. But I do want you to be careful. In your enthusiasm you might betray your thirst for knowledge and just suppose you were right… then it could be dangerous. Please be careful, Rosetta.”
“I will. By the way, something came out of my talk with Maria.
Apparently while Mirabel was engaged to Cosmo she was having some sort of flirtation with Tristan. “
“Oh?”
“Well, according to Maria it was Tristan Mirabel preferred all along.”
“That’s interesting.”
“I thought it might be a motive.”
“She could have transferred her hand to the brother without murder.”
“And lose the title and everything that went with it?”
“I am sure that would have been important to her, but would she have murdered for it?”
“They might have … Tristan and she between them. There was something to gain.”
“Well, it’s the best you’ve come up with so far. But I wouldn’t rely too much on servants’ gossip. By the way, I may be going back to London in a few days’ time.”
“Oh … so soon after … Shall you be away long?”
“I’m not sure. As a matter of fact, I’m going to have an operation.
I’ve been thinking about it for some time. “
“You didn’t mention it.”
“Oh, I didn’t want to bother you with such a thing.”
“How can you say that! You know I am enormously concerned. Tell me about it.”
“It’s this fellow in London. Something very new, of course. It may work … it may not. He’s quite frank about that.”
“Lucas! And you just mention it casually like this!”
“I don’t feel exactly casual about it. I saw this man when I went up on my sleuthing operation concerning the drunken sailor. I killed two birds with one stone, you might say.”
“And you’ve only just told me!”
“I thought I’d better explain my absence. You might have been expecting some messages.
“Come at once. Murderer discovered” or something like that. “
“Don’t be flippant, please, Lucas.”
“All right. The fact is my leg is in pretty bad shape. It’s getting worse. Well, this extremely clever bone man has introduced certain methods. He can’t give me a new leg, alas, but he may be able to do something. If it’s successful … I’d always walk with a limp … but it could be an improvement. And the fact is, I’m ready to take a chance.”
“Lucas, is it dangerous?”
He hesitated just a second too long.
“Oh no. I couldn’t be made more of a cripple than I already am, but..”
“Tell me the truth.”
“To tell the truth, I’m a bit in the dark myself. But there is a hope a faint one perhaps … but I want to take it.”
“Why didn’t you tell me before?” I demanded.
“I wasn’t sure that I was going to do it. And then I thought: Why not?
It can’t be much worse if it goes wrong and it could be a lot better.”
“And I’m going on about all this when you’ve got this on your mind!”
“Your concern touches me deeply, Rosetta,” he said seriously.
“Of course I’m concerned. I care very much about you.”
“I know. Well, I shall be leaving in a few days’ time.”
“How long will it take?”
“I’m not sure. If it’s successful perhaps a month. I’m going into this man’s clinic. It’s just off Harley Street.”
“I shall hate to think you are not here.”
“Promise me you’ll be careful.”
“About probing. Of course I will.”
“Don’t make it too blatant and don’t take too much notice of servants’ chatter.”
“I promise you, Lucas. Will you give me the address of this clinic?”
He took a piece of paper from his wallet and wrote it down.
“I shall come to see you,” I said.
“That will be pleasant for me.”
“I shall keep in touch with Carleton. What is he going to feel about your going away like this?”
“I don’t think my being here makes much difference. It doesn’t bring Theresa back. He’ll be all right. He throws himself into his work and that’s the best thing for him.”
The news had cast a gloom over the day for me. It was typical of Lucas that he should make light of a serious matter. What was this operation? Was it dangerous in any way? If it were, I knew he would not tell me.
I felt very uneasy.
We left The Sailor King and went out to the stables.
Til escort you back to Perrivale,” he said.
We rode on in silence and all too soon the house came into view.
“Oh, Lucas,” I said.
“I wish you weren’t going. I shall miss you very much.”
“I’ll remember that,” he replied.
“It won’t be long. You’ll see me galloping up to The Sailor King … a changed man.”
I looked at him sadly.
Then he said seriously: “But I am concerned about you, Rosetta. Take care. Give up the search until I return. That’s the best plan.”
“I promise to be very careful, Lucas.”
He took my hand and kissed it.
‘am revoir, Rosetta,” he said.
I felt depressed. These meetings with Lucas had meant a great deal to me, and to be deprived of them made me wretched. Moreover, I was worried about him. What was the operation? I wondered. Had he been a little secretive about it?
When I went riding with Kate I suggested we call in at Trecorn Manor one day.
“It’s rather a long way. We couldn’t do it in an afternoon.
But why shouldn’t we have a day’s holiday? I will ask your mother if it would be permitted. “
Kate was excited by the prospect and, as I had been sure, there was no difficulty in getting the required permission.
My riding had improved since my arrival and I could manage a long ride easily now, and Kate was quite capable of it.
I was delighted to see her so pleased at the prospect of our little outing.
“It’s quite grand,” she commented, when she saw the house.
“Not so grand as Perrivale, of course … but it’s all right.”
“I am sure the Lorimers would be pleased by your approval.”
“Are we going to see that old Lucas?”
“No. He’s not there.”
