Zillah ignored her mother. She was still facing Monk. "I did not behave very well. I should know better now. I would not permit myself to become so ... emotional. Unless, of course, I were married." She took a deep breath but did not lower her eyes.

Monk found himself feeling extraordinarily partisan towards her. Each time he saw her, it became easier to understand why Keelin Melville had liked her so much she had inadvertently allowed this tragedy to happen.

"Perhaps anyone who is capable of passion is indiscreet at some time or other," he said quietly. He had no idea how he might have erred in his own youth. It was gone, with all his other memories. But he knew himself well enough to be sure it had occurred, and probably often. Not that it was the same for women, of course—at least not to society.

"That is hardly a worthy sentiment, Mr. Monk," Delphine said, looking quickly at Sacheverall and away again. "I would be obliged if you would not express it here. It is not the way we believe—or behave. Zillah was fond of this young man and saw him more frequently than we desired. It was inevitable, since he moved in the same circles. Before he became too enamored of her and overstepped propriety, or we unintentionally encouraged hopes in him that would not be fulfilled, we went for a short holiday to Crickieth, in North Wales." She forced herself to smile. "By the time we returned he had formed an attachment for another young lady, altogether more suitable to his age and situation. The word passion is far too strong for such a childhood fondness."

Her words fell in silence, as if they all knew they were a gilding of the truth to such a point as to amount to a lie. Zillah was the only one who seemed unconcerned.

"What has it to do with Keelin's death?" she persisted. "Hugh wouldn't have harmed anyone over me, no matter how ardent he seemed at the time. He said a lot of things he didn't mean. He was hotheaded, but there was no real violence in him."

"Of course there wasn't!" Delphine said urgently, looking at Zillah with warning in her eyes, then at Sacheverall. "It was all very young and innocent, and over with years ago."

"No, it wasn't," Zillah contradicted "He went on writing to me...." She disregarded Delphine's obvious anger. "I collected the letters from a friend. And there is no use asking me who, because I shall not tell you...."

"You will do as you are told, young lady!" Delphine snapped, moving forward as if to restrain her physically.