‘Ye—es.’
‘I was fourteen when Matthew and I got married.’
‘Oh.’
‘So all of this happened just before our wedding?’
‘A few weeks before, I think, yes.’
‘Then he was in love with another woman on our wedding day?’
‘No!’ Alan’s expression looked mildly panicked. ‘I mean, I told you, I don’t know what happened between them, if anything. I could have got it all wrong. All I know is that after it happened, Matthew was so angry. He wouldn’t talk to me any more, not properly anyway. He wouldn’t even mention her name. It was like he became a different person.’
‘Then why did he agree to marry me?’
‘I think...that is, I knew he wanted to leave, but Father wouldn’t let him. There were days when I thought they might actually kill each other. Then they seemed to come to some arrangement. One morning, he was just gone. When I asked they told me he’d gone to Lacelby to marry you.’
‘So I was the arrangement?’
‘I think so.’
‘And he never came back?’
‘Not until yesterday.’
Constance leaned back in her chair, picking up a piece of chicken and forcing herself to eat despite the sick feeling in her stomach. One mystery had been solved and yet it seemed only to have been replaced by another. Matthew had been close to his stepmother. He was afraid of the roof because of what had happened there to his stepmother. But what exactly had happened?
‘I’m sorry, Constance.’ Alan looked genuinely apologetic.
‘It’s all right. I asked for the truth.’ She hesitated, hating herself for her next question, but needing to ask it anyway. ‘Just one more thing. What did Blanche look like? Was she very beautiful?’
‘One of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen. A lot like Adelaide, only her hair was golden, not red.’
‘She had a slight build then?’
‘Yes, I suppose so.’
‘I see.’ She forced a smile, feeling as though her face might crack with the strain of it. ‘Thank you for telling me.’
* * *
It was late by the time Constance was able to leave the table and retire upstairs. After her conversation with Alan there had been music and dancing, a welcome distraction though nothing that could make her forget what she’d just learned about her husband’s past.
Her husband. She could have laughed at the description. So much for honesty and respect, let alone friendship! She didn’t know him at all and she wasn’t sure what horrified her more, the fact that he’d been in love with someone else when they’d married or that it had been his own stepmother. Now that the initial shock had abated, however, helped along by several cupfuls of spiced wine, she just felt angry. That and a little unsteady, although it wasn’t until she pushed her chair back that she realised quite how much. The floor seemed to tip alarmingly to one side as she stood.
She stalked across to the stairwell anyway, concentrating hard on putting one foot in front of the other. All she wanted was to be alone to think and try to work out what Alan had told her meant for her marriage, but unfortunately Matthew seemed determined to accompany her upstairs.
‘Did you enjoy dinner?’ He opened the door to their chamber ahead of her, sounding ludicrously as if he were trying to make casual conversation.
‘It was bearable, thanks to your brother,’ she answered tersely, tearing her headdress away and hurling it over a coffer.
‘Yes, you seemed to enjoy his company.’
There was an edge to his voice and she whirled around belligerently, then had to grip a chair for support as the floorboards seemed to ripple beneath her feet.
‘Why shouldn’t I? At least he doesn’t drag me down stairwells and then refuse to explain why! He talks to me!’
‘Constance, I told you I’m sorry about this afternoon. It won’t happen again, I swear.’