Carefully, Patrick said quietly, “My nephew is involved with one of you. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so emotional. I suspect it’s you, Sarah, isn’t it?”

“Oh yes, yes, of course!” she exclaimed quickly, almost stumbling over her words, and then nodding vehemently. Yet all of her gestures made him wonder if she was speaking the truth. But would Blackie be of interest to Angela? After all, she looked to be the older of the two, presumably a married woman if this was her own house and she didn’t live with Sarah. On the other hand, Blackie had only seen her from a distance. So why had he taken her into the house?

After a moment’s reflection, Patrick gave Sarah a puzzled stare. “I’m not sure I believe you, Sarah. What is Blackie doing inside this house with Angela? And whose house is this?”

Quickly seizing on the last question, Sarah explained, almost breathlessly, “It belongs to Angela. She’s lived here since she got married.” As these words left her mouth, Sarah felt like biting her tongue off.

Patrick picked it up at once. “She’s a married woman who—”

“No, no, she’s a widow,” Sarah shot back, interrupting him. “Her husband was in the Royal Navy and he was killed in the Boer War.”

“I see,” Patrick answered in a quieter voice. “However, there is something going on here, and I aim to get to the bottom of it.”

When Blackie saw Angela cowering against the desk in the small library, with tears on her face, every ounce of anger disappeared in an instant.

He knew not to make a move toward her, to keep quiet for a moment and to allow her to accept his presence. He felt foolish for acting up.

She stared at him with intensity and finally spoke. “You called me a liar, and I didn’t like that. I’ve never told a lie. Ever.” Her voice was soft and even.

“I’m sorry, Angela, so very sorry, and I apologize … sure and it was a mistake on my part. I’ve no excuse for being suddenly angry.… It’s just that I was shocked. I thought ye had gone to Harrogate.” He ran his hand through his thick dark hair, his heart racing. What had he been thinking?

“I understand, in a way. You hadn’t expected to see us, and here we are. We did go to Harrogate on Friday morning. When I spoke to my solicitor that afternoon, he told me he needed to see some legal documents. They were not in the house in Harrogate, but here. So we came back to get them last night, and we will return there in an hour.” She half smiled. “A simple explanation.”

Blackie let out a deep sigh. “I’m a fool.”

She shook her head. “No, you’re not. You’re a man, and men often jump to conclusions without thinking.”