The earl held her gaze. “The only way to find the answer to that, my lady, is to ask your husband, and that is not an action I would recommend, for surely it will mean the end for you just as it meant the end for my dear Elizabeth.”

Gillian stared wordlessly at him, unable to resolve the image of Noble lying in his wife’s blood, the instrument of her death clutched in his hand, with what she knew of him. Which was the true Noble? Which were the lies? How was she to determine the truth?

“Gillian! Lord Carlisle! What a surprise! How delightful to meet you…in this wholly unexpected…and unforeseen manner,” Charlotte panted as she galloped up to the pair. “Oh, my, it’s quite warm out today, is it not? Lord Carlisle, may I make you known to Lady Caroline Ambermere? Caroline? Well, that’s her back there. She’s a slow walker.”

Gillian rolled her eyes. There were times when Charlotte’s manners fell far short of her own, rusticated and Colonial though they were. She handed her cousin her handkerchief. Charlotte took it with a shy and demure smile at the earl, then turned to look back at Lady Caroline and deftly applied the cloth to her glowing face.

“We were just about to walk to the Serpentine, Lady Charlotte. I assume since you and Lady Caroline just came from that direction that you are headed elsewhere, so if you will excuse us…”

“Not at all,” Charlotte said gaily and grabbed her cousin’s arm. “We love the Serpentine. Do let us walk there now.”

Gillian gave the earl a rueful smile but was secretly relieved by Charlotte’s appearance.

“Now, what were you discussing? The weather? The latest gossip? Whether Lord Weston killed his wife?”

“Charlotte!”

Charlotte gave her cousin a sidelong look. “There’s no use my pretending not to know anything about it, Gillian, Lord Carlisle did send me that note…”

“Which was addressed to me and only meant to be forwarded by you, not read.”

“No! I must have neglected to notice that,” Charlotte said, smiling shamelessly at the earl. He raised his eyes to heaven and, with a sigh, turned toward the Serpentine.

“Impudent as my cousin is, she does have a point, my lord,” Gillian said as they walked toward the slip of water. “She is in my confidence, and you can speak freely before her.”

“Absolutely,” Charlotte said. “You may speak with perfect impunity and trust my discretion and naturally shy and unassuming nature.”

“Too brown,” Gillian whispered to her cousin.

“Do you think so?” Charlotte whispered back. “I thought it was just right. See, Lord Carlisle looks as if he’s about to laugh.”

The earl did laugh then, a bit ruefully, but still it was a laugh. “I have said my piece, Lady Charlotte. It is now up to your cousin to come to her senses and take the advice I so earnestly offer.”

Gillian shook her head. “I’m afraid this discussion is at a standstill, my lord, so I will turn to another subject that I hold to be very important.”