ut Mrs. Aiken was stronger than all of us. What does Puck do now?”
“She owns the house by the cemetery. She—”
“That house? It was derelict. But it had the most enormous bathtub in it. Is it still there?” Memories came to her.
Naked in that tub. A bucket of hot water being poured over her head. She could feel the slickness of the soap, feel the hands on her skin.
“I have no idea,” Sara said.
“I’ll have to go exploring. I guess Puck works for the estate.”
“She makes herbal wreaths and sells them in London.”
“How lovely.” Nadine had finished unpacking.
“And what about Sean?” Sara asked.
Nadine looked confused. “Who?”
“Worked in the stables? You took riding lessons from him? He left the night of your party and was never seen again.”
“Oh yes. Him. I didn’t last long on those lessons. Horses terrify me—unless there are hundreds of them under the bonnet of a car. Do you have any more questions? If not, I’d like to change.”
“Of course,” Sara said.
Nadine had already opened the door and she closed it firmly behind Sara. The lock clicked loudly.
* * *
Sara hurried down the hall to the narrow stairs that led up. As she’d hoped, Kate was in the attic, seated on an old chair, her lap full of papers. Sara plopped down on an ancient sofa across from her.
“There’s enough info here for a thousand books,” Kate said. “Diaries from the Victorians, finances from the Georgians. I found some things from Queen Anne’s time. Someone really should look at all this and value it.” She looked at her aunt. “What did you find out from Lady Nadine?”
“Absolutely nothing. Everyone and everything was great and wonderful and good. No one had a bad thought—except about poor Clive. He was a monster.”
“If there was so much love, why did they break apart and not speak to each other for twenty years?”
“According to her royal highness,” Sara said with a sneer, “they left to... I want to get this right...‘go their own ways.’ The end. Broken up and that’s it.”
“But there were two engagements.”
“She said I should understand how insignificant they were. They are merely ‘plot devices.’”
“Oh,” Kate said. “Did you hit her?”
“I wanted to. She was rude, condescending and lying. After every person I mentioned, she’d get a little glazed look in her eyes. I think she was remembering the truth.”
“Which she wasn’t about to tell you.”
“Jack votes for Mrs. Aiken being a killer. I think it was Lady Nadine. Who gets your vote?”
“Puck.”
“Are you kidding?”
“Yes. But the others were taken. Puck was the only one left.”
Sara grimaced. “I can hardly wait to meet the rest of this crew.”