Chapter Four
I knew the estate where Daphne lived. I had passed her great iron gate often In my comings and goings and wondered about what might lie behind the high stone walls that enclosed the acreage beyond. From the road, nothing could be seen of it except treetops and a pair of crenellated stone towers high above them. I had heard that the woman living there was a bit of a recluse, preferring to keep company only with a small and select circle of associates and living for the most part alone, except for a discrete household staff. I had been a bit surprised to discover that the mystery woman and Daphne were one and the same.
The distance between our homes was not great, and the weather perfect, so I covered the distance on foot. The island is an overlooked paradise. The vulgar boate
