None of this could be explained, but now she knew in her gut that Miss Marnier was in some way responsible. It was Miss Marnier that had written the threatening messages. But why? Why would she do this?
As if revealing herself, Miss Marnier’s eyes shot to the countess and back, as if she was trying to reformulate and recoup. This was about the countess, Clemmie realized. Exactly how and why, she didn’t know, but she felt it in her gut. This was about her.
Clemmie stared at the woman, who had recovered some of her steely posture. It was her they were trying to undo.
“Have there been other things?” Clemmie asked the countess. “Things we do not know about?”
The woman’s silence was palpable.
“She’s the one who’s done all this, her and Mr. Hubert,” Clemmie said to the woman.
“You can’t say that,” the Italian man said, coming to Miss Marnier’s defense. Clemmie stared at him, trying to determine whether he was part of this. He’d always rubbed Clemmie the wrong way, but his clear confusion suggested he wasn’t. He was simply defending Miss Marnier against what seemed a wild accusation.
“Mr. Hubert was thin, was he not? Tall and thin. Oliver said the man who abducted and imprisoned them was tall and thin. He hid his features, but that he could not hide.”
“It is true,” Mr. Weber said when no one else spoke.
“He was the one responsible, but he feared your arrival,” Clemmie said, turning her attention to the constable. “So he ran. But you weren’t done,” she continued, returning her gaze to Miss Marnier.”
“You have absolutely no proof.” Again Miss Marnier looked for support amongst the faces around her. “There is no proof of any of this,” she continued. “Wild accusations.”
Except the Roman soldiers were accusing her. She had used them as the cover for her activities, and she unleashed their wrath as a consequence.
“No, Miss Marnier couldn’t have done this,” Miss Juno said, but there was a hint of uncertainty in her voice. “Why would she?”
“Exactly,” Miss Marnier said victoriously. “Why would I?” There was spite and viciousness in the statement. The shock of her fright had shaken her mask and she couldn’t quite get it back on now.
Still the countess said nothing.
“You are the one who led everyone to where you’d hidden your husband, didn’t you? The constable came and you led everyone to where he was. That was your doing,” Miss Marnier accused. The sharpness was clear and pointed. “Some would say it looks like this is all your doing.”
That fed right into what the constable believed. Right now, Clemmie was very aware that Miss Marnier was trying to deflect away from herself.
“Mr. Weber,” the countess said curtly. “If it wouldn’t be too much of an imposition, I would like a separate room for myself and my grandchild.”
“Yes, of course,” Mr. Weber said. “I will arrange it for you now, if you will come with me.”
The countess walked past, as regally as Clemmie had ever seen her. “Alette,” she called. “If you would bring the child.”
The countess’ elderly companion came out of the room, walking with the child, who tightly held a teddy bear. The poor thing must be terrified with all this commotion.
For a moment, Clemmie wondered why the woman hadn’t stayed in her rooms and insisted the people in her party find other rooms, but maybe she didn’t trust her rooms to be safe. Could be a wise choice. Who knew what else Miss Marnier had planned? Could you trust anything she’d touched if she was capable of doing what she’d done? Well, Mr. Hubert had done the abductions,
Clemmie was certain of that, but he’d been in cahoots with Miss Marnier—maybe even directed by her.
The questions remained for why she’d done this, but it wasn’t going to be information that Miss Marnier volunteered.
The countess had left and everyone else simply stood.
“Just keep her away from me,” Miss Marnier accused and started walking back to her room.
“It’s not me you have to worry about,” Clemmie fired back. “It’s him.”
“Who?” the constable said.
“The ghost.”
The rude Italian pffted as if it was the silliest thing he’d ever heard, but Clemmie knew that Miss Marnier had seen him. Miss Marnier knew what she was saying and the look of uncertainty beneath her defiance showed she was still scared. So she ought to be, after what she’d done.
With that, Clemmie turned on her heels and walked away. There was nothing else to say here in the middle of the night, but she returned to her room feeling calmer. She knew who was responsible, and except for fearing Miss Marnier’s retribution, there was nothing else to fear. The abductor was gone, and as far as Clemmie was concerned, the culprit had been uncovered.
What remained was why? And she battled between curiosity and an urge not to know. It some ways, it didn’t matter why they’d done it. It was a stupid reason, probably a selfish, evil and malicious reason.
What the morning would bring, however, was hard to say.
Quietly, she unlocked her room door and silently walked inside. Oliver hadn’t woken throughout the whole commotion and slept peacefully. Clemmie slipped between the sheets and loved having the warmth of him there. Finally, she could sleep in peace, and would do so even more when that woman wasn’t in the same building.
Chapter 33
CLEMMIE WOKE BECAUSE OLIVER moved. Brightness stung her eyes and she shifted away from it.
“I think we missed the breakfast service,” Oliver said and Clemmie pondered the words for a moment.
“Really?” she said, finally opening her eyes. Both her body and mind felt rested. They slept through half of the morning. “I find the kitchen is amenable to providing a hot chocolate before lunch if one asks nicely.”
Oliver rose from the bed and dressed.
“You slept through quite a commotion last night. It turns out Miss Marnier is one of the parties responsible for everything, along with Mr. Hubert.” Again she considered telling him about her dreams, but still chose not to. “She denies it, of course. I’m not sure the constable is convinced, but the Countess
