They started walking out the door together. “Yes, darling, and I will add my name to your account as your spouse.”
“Oh good! I’ve never had one of those,” Sara said. “But I’ve consummated a few unions.”
“Only a few? Darling, we must compare conquest stories.”
The others were standing in the doorway, watching and listening, as the voices faded.
“Someone who can stand up to Byon.” Nadine’s voice was admiring.
“Usually, people flee him in tears,” Clive said.
“Or threaten him.” Nadine was looking Clive up and down. “Bring any knives with you?”
“Only one for you, dear Nadine.”
They left the chapel.
Kate and Jack, standing inside, looked at each other.
“Think we have any suspects?” Kate asked.
“I think every person we’ve met here is capable of murder. Maybe they all did it.”
They were watching the others through the doorway as they sat down to the picnic.
“What you did with the sheep was clever,” Kate said.
“Stupid creatures. I nearly fell through that rusty old grating when I tried to keep them off of it. I just wanted them to run around, smash the grass and cover our tracks.”
“I guess you closed the gate after you got them out.”
“Of course I did. The sheep loved those virgin grasses, wanted to eat everything. It was tough getting them out. I latched the gate, but the lock was too rusty to put back on.”
“Latched it, huh?”
“What are you dancing around saying?”
“When Clive and I got there, the gate was open about two feet.”
“You and Clive? He’s too old for you. He couldn’t—”
Kate threw up her hands. “Would you stop it! Gate. Open. Get it?”
“Who—? I see. Think lover boy did it?”
“Clive isn’t my—” She glared at him. “I can see that Byon is already in love with you. And you sound like it’s mutual. Be sure to hang your shirt over your bedroom doorknob to let everyone know you two are busy.”
Jack laughed. “Nadine’s the one who likes me shirtless. Oh, Sara is motioning for us to join them.”
“When were you shirtless around Nadine?”
He stopped in the doorway. “When she fainted at the sight of me and I carried her outside. I had to put a cold compress on her forehead so I used my shirt. She said I should have removed her blouse and used it. Too bad I didn’t think of that.” He went out the door to join the others.
“Bastard!” Kate muttered, and left the chapel.
They sat on the ground on a big blanket. Mrs. Aiken had ordered some of the cleaners to bring more food—and two pillows. Of course they were meant for her favorites, Nadine and Byon, but Nadine offered hers to Sara.
Jack and Kate hid their laughs. Sara hated anything that rang of “because you’re old.”
As they knew she would, Sara refused the pillow. “I’m fine.” She sat cross-legged on the blanket.
The group divided itself with Sara, Jack and Kate on one side, Nadine and Byon on the other side. Clive was at the head. He was separate from the rest of them.
There were sandwiches and the little pies the English so loved, pâté, pickles, olives and three kinds of bread. For dessert there were tarts covered in berries and clotted cream. It was a feast!
“How lovely,” Nadine said. “Just like it used to be. It’s almost as though we’re all here.”
“Except for Nicky.” There was longing in Byon’s voice.
“And Bertram is gone,” Nadine said. “Who is going to yell at us? Who—?”
“I want to hear about Willa,” Sara said.
The three English people barely lifted their eyes, but they exchanged looks. It was the most united they’d been since arriving.
Sara, with her keto diet, had a plate full of cheeses, sliced meats and olives. She looked at Byon. “What was she like?”
“Selfless.” Byon looked at the other two and they nodded in agreement.
“I got the idea she was a dreadful person,” Sara said. “A pest. Unwanted by anyone—except for her money.”
Kate hid her face. She knew her aunt was baiting them.
Byon said, “Shall I tell you how we met her?”
“I’d love to hear.”
He looked at Nadine. “You had only recently joined Nicky and me.”
“I was there,” Clive said pointedly.
“Yes, of course,” Byon said. “But then you were a part of Nicky.”
“Like his valet?” There was anger in Clive’s voice.
“More like his second-best pair of shoes,” Byon snapped. “Shall I continue or would you like more time to suffer?”
Clive gave Kate a look of See what I have to put up with?
“As I was saying,” Byon continued, “we were together and at a grocery. We’d been up all night and we were tired and hungry and broke.”
“I remember that we were trying to piece together five pounds,” Nadine said. “My allowance wouldn’t come in for another three days.”
“Willa was ahead of us in the queue,” Clive said. “But only Nicky noticed her.”
“He was like that.” Byon’s tone was reverent. “He saw what others didn’t.”
“Describe her,” Kate said.
“Plain,” Clive said, and Nadine and Byon nodded. “In all the years I knew her I never saw anything to distinguish her. Not in looks or talent of any kind.”
Byon looked at him in wonder. “I had no idea you were so perceptive.”
Before Clive could retaliate, Sara said to Byon in annoyance, “Do try to subdue your venom. Clive appears to have been successful in spite of your belittlement of him. Get on with the story.”
Clive looked like he was going to kiss Sara, and Nadine was wide-eyed.
Byon laughed. “Oh how Nicky would have loved you! Anyway, Willa secretly paid for the groceries of a woman with three children. Nicky saw what she’d done, but the woman didn’t.”
“She thanked some man,” Clive said.
“And he told her she was welcome,” Nadine added.