The doctor straightened in his chair. “Lady Augusta, I have a wife, two young children, and a practice. My brother and remaining sister are well settled. To go to the courts and name my father as a murderer would ruin my family’s name. Ruin all of their lives.” He shook his head. “Forgive me, but I cannot. I will not. I have discharged my duty.”

“No, you must! Your family owes Lord Evan his life back.”

“I do not ask Dr. Lawrence to ruin his and his family’s life, Augusta,” Evan said. “Sanderson harmed too many women and children when he was alive. He will not do so dead. It ends here.”

“No!” I stood, my confusion rapidly climbing into fury. “You owe him, Doctor. I thought you were an honorable man, but I see no honor here!”

The man hunched in his chair. “Forgive me, I cannot place the past over my family’s future.”

“But—”

“Augusta, no,” Evan said, his voice implacable. He stood and made a small bow. “We will take our leave of you, Dr. Lawrence. This terrible secret that has bound your life to mine is now resolved. From here on, you do not know me, nor I you. Live your life in the knowledge that your father’s sin will not be visited upon you or your family. You have my word upon it.”

I stared at him. He had given his word. His unbreakable word. All hope of exoneration was gone.

32

“You are angry,” Evan said, after we had ridden for twenty minutes in silence. “Please look at me.”

I craned my neck back and looked up at the sky. The afternoon clouds had cleared and dusk was approaching, an early crescent moon visible. It would not give us a great deal of light when night settled, but enough to make our way along the road. Back to exactly the same problems we had left, but this time with no way forward.

“I do not believe that you would wish me to force the doctor into giving testimony and thus ruining so many innocent lives,” Evan added. “I know it is disappointing—”

“Disappointing?” I said, finally looking at him. “Do you not see? We have no testimony. No usable evidence. You cannot be exonerated. Mulholland will keep coming and you will never be safe.”

“I am quite aware of that,” he said soberly. “And although I know you wish it to be otherwise, you cannot keep everyone safe, Gus. It is impossible.”

“You are very calm about it. Did you never believe the doctor could exonerate you? Did you come here without hope?”