There was silence and then he said,
“Answer my question, Romana. Do you want to leave me?”
“I – want you to be – happy”
“And you think it will make me happy if you go away?”
“You did not – want to be married – and, although I tried to leave you – Mr. Barnham said it would – harm you because Lord Kirkhampton would make a – scandal – but now he is – dead.”
“He is dead,” the Marquis agreed, “because you killed him to save me.”
“So now – you are free – as Nicole is.”
“As Nicole is,” the Marquis repeated. “Shall we talk about Nicole first?”
He did not wait for Romana to reply but carried on,
“I found Nicole at her house as I expected, resting before the evening’s performance at the dancing school. When I told her that Lord Kirkhampton was dead, she cried and they were tears of relief.”
