CHAPTER XXXVIIIThe person least surprised was Esther Field.
“You see, I have known Adela for so long, and she has always been the same—if she wanted something she wouldn’t let anyone or anything stand in the way. It always frightened me a little. Geoffrey Castleton was engaged to someone else before she married him, but she didn’t let it stand in her way. The other girl never had a chance—I don’t suppose Geoffrey had either. But he wasn’t really happy with her, you know, and he died young. I remember his saying to me once that after you were thirty there really wasn’t anything very much to look forward to.”
Miss Silver coughed.
“A tragic thing to say.”
Esther put her handkerchief to eyes already red.
“I couldn’t get it out of my mind. And he was considered such a rising man. I said so
