I had to laugh and so did he. It seemed so amazing and wonderful that we could be talking about our future home together. He looked down at me tenderly, brushed a strand of hair from my face then took me into his arms and kissed me. “I’ve been wanting to do that all day,” he said. “At last we’re alone with nobody watching us.”

“You never know around here,” I said. “Remember, Sissy can see all sorts of things from her room.”

“Let’s hope she hasn’t seen anything else that might put her in danger,” Darcy said. “Murderers can be ruthless if they feel threatened.”

“Oh, gosh, I didn’t think about that,” I said. “Should we suggest a guard on her to the police?”

“She has her brother and sister and their nurse up in the nursery with her, doesn’t she? I presume the nurse is there at all times.”

“Yes, but . . . I just wish they’d hurry up and solve this,” I said. “It’s horrid looking at people and wondering which of them might be a murderer. Perhaps it was that footman William, and we can all get on with our lives again.”

“Perhaps,” Darcy repeated thoughtfully.

“And you never answered me,” I said. “Why do you think there was so little blood from that stab wound?”

“Maybe the knife being left in the wound prevented too much blood from leaking out,” he said. “Or maybe he was wearing a thick, wool vest underneath that soaked up the blood.”

“Don’t,” I said, shivering. “It’s too depressing, isn’t it? One day someone is alive, and the next he isn’t. I don’t like the thought of life being so fragile and cheap.”

As I was saying this, the sun went behind a cloud again, plunging the world into gloom. I shivered. “Let’s get away from here. I can still picture him lying covered with his coat, with the stream washing over him.”

“Covered with his coat?” Darcy asked.

“That was another strange thing. He had taken his jacket off, and his top half was covered in it. Why?”

“He certainly wouldn’t have taken it off because he was too warm,” Darcy said.

“And why did his killer bother to cover him?”

“Maybe it wasn’t his killer. Maybe someone else saw him and was so disturbed that they covered him?”

I shook my head. “If they were so disturbed, why didn’t they call for help?”

Darcy shrugged. “I can’t answer. As you say, let’s get away from here. What’s that building up among the rocks?”

“It’s a folly,” I said.

“Let’s go and explore.” He took my hand.

“You’re not leading me there to have your wicked way with me?” I asked.