Louisa choked. “No, she can’t cut me off from the family money. It’s actually the opposite. The money is mine.”

“What?” Shock pulled Conor back.

“All of my fortune comes from my mother’s family.” She studied their joined hands for a few seconds, breathing, seemingly gathering strength. “My mother loved my father very much, but she had no illusions about him. He is and has always been a pure academic. He comes from an old blue-blooded family with more pedigree than money. He has no interest in being rich. He makes enough lecturing and guest teaching in Europe to fund his travels. That’s all he cares about. My mother died of cancer. She knew she was dying for several years, so she put the bulk of her estate in a trust. My father receives a generous annual allowance. He is more than happy about the arrangement. He has no desire to do any of the work involved with managing the funds, but his sister is a different story. When she agreed to move in with us and take charge of me, she assumed she’d have access to the money. She was furious with my mother for cutting Dad off. She carried that grudge over to me. Dad gives his sister most of his allowance. He doesn’t need it, and he feels like he owes her for giving up her life to raise me.” Louisa nestled closer. “She never married or had children of her own.”

“Well, thank God for that.” Conor hugged her tighter. “I’m sorry.”

Louisa brushed a tear off her cheek. “I’m sorry for snapping at you.”

Conor sat up and faced her. “Don’t apologize for being sad or angry or try to cover it up with a fake smile. I don’t want an act. I want you, however you’re feeling. If your family makes you depressed, that’s OK. Please don’t ever pretend to be in a pleasant mood for me.”

Though Conor couldn’t help but wonder if she was truly capable of not covering up her emotions.

“Is there any way Blaine could benefit from your death?”

“Financially? I don’t think so.” Louisa shrugged. “If Blaine tried to kill me, it would have been pure anger. He doesn’t like to take no for an answer, and he usually gets what he wants.”

“You don’t think he could have killed those two girls to emotionally destabilize you, to get you fired, and ultimately to force you to go back to Maine?” Conor asked.

“That would take a great deal of planning, and it’d be . . .”

“Evil?” Conor filled in.

“Yes. Killing two girls to force me back to Maine would be the ultimate self-centered act of evil.” She straightened. “Blaine is both selfish and deviously intelligent, so yes, it’s far-fetched but possible. But it is far more likely that he had a burst of temper over my rejection.”