“There is a great deal to say. I am rather obsessed with you, Lenore. I can’t get you out of my mind. You flout me. You are so virtuous … on the surface. Such an innocent child, weren’t you when you captured Philip. But tell me, why did Philip kill himself?”
“I am not sure that he did.”
“Oh, come now. Do you think I murdered him? Out of jealousy perhaps, because he had the prize I coveted. No, my dear, that is not so. I believe he discovered something about you. He had a rather austere outlook on life, did Philip. He was the knight in shining armour. Anything less than perfection would have shocked him deeply. What did he discover about you, Lenore?”
“You are being ridiculous.”
“Such a dark horse you can be. Just think of it. Illegitimate daughter of the house of St. Allengere. Papa turns up just in time to help with the business. The little waif who marries one of the Sallonger heirs. Very romantic—melodramatic, in fact, particularly when the husband commits suicide. You’d think that would be enough but oh no, not for Lenore. She has to fascinate poor Julia’s husband. Ambitious politician. Then there is the problem for the poor man. All the world well lost for love?”
“I do not want to listen to any more.”
”I am afraid you will have to. Did you know I am not a very nice man?”
“That is one thing on which we can agree.”
He caught my arm. “But people who are not so nice can be attractive, you know.”
“You, however, are not so to me.”
“Be careful. I should warn you that I can also be a vindictive fellow. Remember the mausoleum?”
”I shall never forget it.”
“And how kind and noble Drake rescued you, and not content with that he had to show his knightly qualities by throwing me in the lake. I don’t forget that either. There are old scores to settle there.”
“Charles, I wish you would go.”
I wrenched my arm free, but he came close to me so that his face was almost touching mine. His eyes were mocking, lustful. I felt very much afraid of him.
“But I wish to stay.”
I said: “Has the most beautiful Madalenna departed?”
“She is with us still.”
“I thought you were pursuing her.”
“My appetite is voracious. Madalenna is luscious, beautiful but oddly enough I still hanker after you.”
“Then stop it, for you are wasting your time.”
“No… . no. It is going to be time well spent.”
“Listen to me, Charles, after this I never want to see you again.”
“I shall make you change your mind.”
“I am able to make my own decisions.”
“Lenore, I’ve had enough of this banter. I am serious. If you continue to flout me, it will be the worse for you … and for Drake Aldringham. What if Julia decided to divorce him and cite you as the lady in the case?”
I went cold with fear. I knew that he was not talking idly.
I said quickly: “It would be obviously false.”
“Would it? Meetings in the park. Julia’s outburst before so many. This could mean the end of Drake as a politician, and would betray you as a somewhat wanton lady.”
“Julia has already done a lot of harm.”
“He could be saved … so could you … if you would be sensible.”
“How?”
He leered at me. “You know the answer to that question. By my friendship, of course.”
“By which you mean …”
“Suppose you became my very dear friend.”
I laughed. “You’re crazy, I think.”
He shrugged his shoulders.
“It’s a sort of blackmail,” I said.
“Often an effective weapon.”
“You are so melodramatic.”
“Rather intriguing, eh?”
“Far from it. Rather absurd and quite meaningless.”
“My very dear sister-in-law, with the rather disreputable origins, the clever girl who in spite of being brought into the Sallonger fold as an underling, her grandmother one of our workers, somehow managed to entrap one of the Sallonger heirs into marriage.”
“How dare you tell such lies!”
”Lies? Did you not marry my brother? Was he not one of the heirs to our father’s estate? Were you not raised from a menial position in the household to become one of us?”
“I did not trap Philip into marriage.”
“With your wiles and your pretty ways you did. He was always your slave. You saw he was a better proposition than I. Poor Charles was scorned. Then he dies and in mysterious circumstances. Suicide they say. But was it? Be careful, Lenore. You are not in a very secure position. I have great influence with Julia. I might decide to advise her on a divorce. She would listen to me. I am her adviser now.”
“She would not do it. She has already harmed Drake considerably and I believe she is contrite about that.”
“Contrite? Perhaps for a while. Then she will be ragingly jealous. It depends on the bottle. I have seen her in the many moods it inspires. Maudlin, sentimental, becoming jealous … venomously so. It would not be difficult for me. Pity, for they say that, given a chance, Drake could become a brilliant politician. A divorce would finish him. And you, too, my dear. Think of your position. Old scandals revived. The woman whose husband killed himself a few weeks after marriage. That would not sound very pleasant, would it, in a court of law?”
“You would not do this.”
Would I not? I think you have a great deal to learn about me. It would be the story of the mausoleum all over again. You flouted me then. If it had not been for Drake how long would you have remained in that cold dank place with the remains of long dead Sallongers?”
“Nothing on Earth would induce me to become, as you call it, your dear friend.”
“We shall see, Lenore my darling. We shall see.”
“Will you go now?”
He bowed his head. “But,” he said, “I shall be back. I think when you consider this matter and all it entails you may change your mind.”
“I never shall,” I told him.
“Au revoir, sweet Lenore,” he said.
When he had gone I felt shaken and exhausted. I had always known he was a dangerous man; but I had not until that moment realized how dangerous.
I did not tell anyone of that interview with Charles. I could not bring myself to talk of it. I was in a state of great anxiety. One thing I knew was that Charles was not talking idly. He had always had a special feeling for me which fluctuated between desire and dislike. He wanted to humiliate me, to hurt me; he had sought opportunities, as in the case of the mausoleum; but this was a more serious matter.
I should have loved to take my troubles to Grand’mere but I did not want to worry her. I had brought her a great deal of anxiety through my relationships both with the Comte and with Drake. She took these things too much to heart. I could not burden her with this new and frightening development.
Then I had a letter from Drake.
“I must see you,” he wrote, “but after Julia’s outburst it would be unwise for us to be seen together. I have an idea. My old nanny has a house in Kensington. I have always visited her over the years. Could we meet there? She would be very discreet and do anything for me. She has always been like a mother to me. She is Miss Brownlee of 12 Parsons Road. Do come there. Could it be tomorrow afternoon. I shall go there then. Say two thirty. I must talk to you, Lenore. Please come.”
I could not ignore the plea and I did feel that I had a great deal to say to Drake. I also realized how unwise it would be for us to be seen together particularly after Charles’s threats.
I did not say where I was going. I took a cab. The journey was quicker than I had anticipated, and I arrived at the house quite ten minutes early. There were very few people about. A cab did just draw up as I was getting out of mine. That was all. The house was small with discreet lace curtains and a highly polished knocker.