He turned. She noticed that his face had bleached, not conventionally, over the cheekbone, but at the temples and down the jaw-line.

‘Anelida?’

‘I had to come. I’m trying to make up for my bad behaviour. Here, you see, I am.’

He came slowly to her and when he took her hands in his, did so doubtfully. ‘I can’t believe my luck,’ he said. ‘I thought I’d lost you quite irrevocably. Cause enough, God knows.’

‘On the contrary, I assure you.’

He broke into an uncertain smile. ‘The things you say! Such grand phrases!’ His hands tightened on hers. ‘You know what’s happened, don’t you? About Mary?’

‘Yes. Richard, I’m so terribly sorry. And what a hopeless phrase that is!’

‘I shouldn’t let you stay. It’s not the place for you. This is a nightmare of a house.’

‘Do you want me? Am I any good: being here?’

‘I love you.’ He lifted her hands to his face. ‘Ah, no! Why did I tell you? This isn’t the time.’

‘Are you all right now – to talk, I mean? To talk very seriously?’

‘I’m all right. Come over here.’

They sat together on the sofa, Richard still holding her hands. ‘He told us you fainted,’ said Anelida.

‘Alleyn? Has he been worrying you?’

‘Not really. But it’s because of what he did say that I’m here. And because – Richard, when I wouldn’t see you and you went away – did you come back here?’

‘Yes,’ he said. ‘I did.’

‘Did you see her?’

He looked down at their clasped hands. ‘Yes.’

‘Where?’

‘In her room. Only for a few minutes. I – left her there.’

‘Was anyone else with you?’

‘Good God, no!’ he cried out.

‘And then? Then what?’

‘I went away. I walked for heaven knows how long. When I came back – it was like this.’

There was a long silence. At last Richard said very calmly: ‘I know what you’re trying to tell me. They think Mary has been murdered and they wonder if I’m their man. Isn’t it?’

Anelida leant towards him and kissed him. ‘That’s it,’ she said. ‘At least, I think so. We’ll get it tidied up and disposed of in no time. But, I think, that’s it.’

‘It seems,’ he said, ‘so fantastic. Too fantastic to be frightening. You mustn’t be frightened. You must go away, my darling heart, and leave me to – to do something about it.’

‘I’ll go when I think it’ll make things easier for you. Not before.’

‘I love you so much. I should be telling you how much, not putting this burden upon you.’

‘They may not leave me with you for long. You must remember exactly what happened. Where you went. Who may have seen you. And, Richard, you must tell them what she was doing when you left.’