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me,” he said, directing his words to both ladies. “Curiosity has always been my besetting sin. I came to pay my respects to Lord Pargeter’s widow.” He turned to direct his next words to Jane. “I am a cousin to Pargeter. I was trying to determine whether we might have met before, ma’am. I am sorry if my questions struck you as an interrogation. My mama makes her home in Bath. I often visit her. ” His interest soared when Jane gave a wince at that piece of information.
    The charm of his smile was ignored in this dreadful piece of information. “ I have heard of Lady Fenwick. I ’ ve never met her, ” Jane said. But Lady Fenwick might very well have heard of her by now. Many of the students were from noble families. The dismissal of a schoolmistress on moral grounds would provide a small item of gossip. “ Do you have relatives — cousins or nieces — at Miss Prism ’ s, milord? ” she asked warily.
    “ Not at the moment, ” he said, and watched as the tension eased out of her face. His suspicions heightened when she smiled in relief.
    “ I thought they might have attended Miss Prism ’ s, ” she said.
    “ Not within the past eighteen months, two weeks, and three days, ” he replied, with a glinting, sly smile that set her nerves on edge. Almost a challenging smile. What had he heard?
    Lady Pargeter decided it was time to change the subject. “ You are staying with Swann, Lord Fenwick? ”
    “ Just so. I am visiting for a few days and couldn ’ t leave without calling on you. How do you go on, Lady Pargeter? ”
    “ As well as I can, being cut off from the world, ” she said, with a sharp glance at Swann, who was harboring the lady responsible for her isolation, and well he knew it.
    Scawen paid her no heed. He had discovered that Miss Lonsdale was a nice, quiet sort of lady. Pretty without flaunting herself. He wanted a wife, and felt that his best chance of procuring one was to find some undiscovered violet growing unseen, and rush her off to Vicar Hellman before she caught someone else ’ s eye.
    “ Would you like to see my swans, Miss Lonsdale? ” he asked.
    “ Where are they? ” she asked in some little confusion.
    “ At Swann Hall. That is to say, on the lake. Only a few of them left. ”
    “ Yes, I should like to see them sometime, ” she said vaguely.
    "Tomorrow. I shall call on you tomorrow. Don ’ t wear a good dress. What you have on will be fine. And you ’ ll need some stout shoes, for it ’ s wet in the water. In the rushes, that is to say. ”
    Jane blinked, wondering how to respond to this news that water was wet, and to the slight on her good serge gown.
    Seeing her plight, Fenwick came to the rescue, hoping to lure her into friendship, and eventually into revelations. “ It will be chilly by the lake. You will want that nice warm gown, ” he said.
    “ Oh yes. ” She smiled, surprised that he should come to her rescue, and grateful for his finesse.
    The conversation came to a temporary halt. She noticed Fenwick direct a commanding look on Mr. Swann, and sat on nettles, waiting to see what occurred next.
     

Chapter Four
     
    There had been some discussion between the gentlemen as to how they might discover clues to Pargeter ’ s mental condition just prior to his death. They agreed that the master bedroom was the likeliest place to find them. Fenwick had convinced Swann that he was the more likely one to request a visit thither.
    When Fenwick gave him a commanding look, Swann said, “ We was wondering if we might have a peek at the master bedroom. ” Lady Pargeter stared at him in astonishment. “ Only if you ain ’ t using it yourself, of course, ” he added.
    “ It happens I am not. It ’ s too dark to suit me, but may I know why you wish to view it? ”
    Swann had been coached. “ Old times ’ sake, ” he replied. “ Many ’ s the time I have enjoyed a gargle of brandy there with old Pargeter when he was racked up with gout, you know. I would like