“Dear God. But surely, if Ivy is this smart, she’d have to know you’d figure out it wasn’t Sutton posthaste.”

“I think she was planning a grand escape once your lives were ruined. You say she was trying to seduce you? Perhaps she wanted you to run away with her. Either way, Sutton was lucky. If they hadn’t caught Tomkins—”

“Who is this Tomkins bloke, and how does Sutton know him?”

“I don’t know all the details,” she said, but he could tell she was lying, and a small burn began in the pit of his stomach. “She met him in Paris, and he insinuated himself into her world very quickly. He murdered two students at Sacré-Coeur and framed Sutton for it. She can give you all the details.”

“I suppose I deserve that. Tit for tat.”

“Sir?”

“‘Insinuated himself’ is code for fucked my wife. And I suppose I do deserve payback from her. For the affair I had. The alleged affair. The woman at the hotel at the conference? It was Ivy.”

“It was?”

“I woke up in her bed at the hotel. She was wearing expensive lingerie, lounging in the bed, so thrilled when I woke. She kissed me, and took a picture of us together in the bed. A selfie. I was too much in shock to think straight. I had a wicked hangover, my head was fit to burst, and I didn’t remember anything past the drink at the bar the night before. Running into her felt odd at the time, but I’d had a few pops, and was surrounded by strangers and sycophants. I was relieved when she sidled up to me, all surprised, what a coincidence, we’re at the same hotel, and we chatted for a few. I hit the loo, came back, and that’s the last I recall until I woke up and she showed me the pictures.”

“Sounds to me like she may have dropped a little something in your drink, something to make you compliant.”

Ethan set the ice pack on the table. “You’re being kind. I don’t remember, but even if she slipped me the Mickey, it’s no excuse. Sutton and I were having trouble. Ivy had been hanging around a lot. I was happy to see her, I remember that. Happy to have a friendly face. She may have tricked me, might even have drugged me, but I’ll bet I went willingly. I am such a complete arse.”

“That’s your conscience speaking, not mine.”

“She’s had that hanging over me for over a year. Every time I saw her, I was filled with shame and revulsion. And Sutton, I couldn’t tell her the truth. I admitted screwing around, but I swore it was a nobody. That’s what Wilde had on me. He was threatening to tell Sutton the woman was Ivy, not some inconsequential barmaid.”