Perfect in My Sight (16 page)

CHAPTER
17

Sarah sat within her room—Mary
’
s room—in her chair by the window, staring at the portrait of Mary she held in her
hand.

She had panicked.

There was no other word for it.

She couldn
’
t explain what had come over her, except that she had lost her wits and nerve and
who knew what else.

There was something tangible between them, something that s
eemed wholly impossible and yet...
and yet
...
it was there.

She could feel it.

And it wasn
’
t her imagination because she saw it in the glitter of his eyes. It was a hungry glance
she wasn
’
t supposed
to have spied, and yet she had.

Afraid of a little touch
?

More than she could possibly have imagined.

Cad.

Without mercy, he had thrown her own words back at her.

Even now, with the memory of his touch, her heartbeat had yet to slow.

She studied the portrait she held in her hand. Had Mary felt this for him too? Had
she been drawn to Peter in the same way? Had her skin prickled at his slightest glance?
And had she dreamt of his lips?

Something fluttered in her belly at the thought of his mouth.

Had Mary dared to live these wicked thoughts?

Sarah could
scarcely
bear that she had condemned her cousin for what she was feeling this moment
—
and for the very man she
’
d felt it for! God knew Sarah had come into his home ready to loathe him. With a start,
she realized she no longer could. How could she despise a man who cared so very much
for his son, who sat on the floor and polished little toy soldiers with him, who bought
him taffy in the park and gazed down upon his child with such undisguised affection?

The only thing Sarah could not condone was the fact that he pushed his son so blessed
hard. It was as though he drove Christopher out of some sense of
...

What?

In truth, it was as though he could not accept Christopher
’
s disability. And yet
he accepted his son completely
... It was obvious that Peter embraced his child. So did he push Christopher so hard
out of some sense of personal culpability? Did he need his son to overcome his blindness
in order to assuage his own guilt feelings?

Sarah wondered.

The truth was, however, that Christopher was an overly intelligent child. He did not
appear to be overburdened by his father
’
s expectations as Ruth had suggested. In fact, judging by all he
’
d said to his father, he had grasped everything she had taught him with a minimum
of explanation and a maximum of comprehension. Even his speech patterns were hardly
those of a six-year-old.

Whatever the case... it was growing more and more difficult to believe Peter was Mary
’
s murderer.

She had to consider whether it was because she suddenly didn
’t want him to be.

A soft rap on the door startled her from her reveries. She placed Mary
’
s portrait down upon the table.
“
Who is it?
”

“
It
’
s Mel, Sarah.
”

Sarah rose up from the chair and hurried to the door.
“
Come in!
”

Mel didn
’
t need a second invitation; she threw open the door and entered, shutting it quickly
behind her.

“
Where the devil have you been?
”
Sarah demanded of her at once.

“
I am so sorry!
”
Mel replied.
“
Forgive me, Sarah, for not returning last night. But I think you
’
ll be quite intrigued by what I
’
ve discovered.
”

“
You left me all alone in that tub!
”
Sarah railed.

Mel
’
s eyes twinkled with devilment.
“
Come, now, Sarah. You hardly need me to hold your hand,
”
she chided. She lifted a brow.
“
Anyway, he didn
’
t walk in on you, did he?
”

“
No,
”
Sarah said, hardly appeased by the fact.
“
Thank God! But he very well could have.
”

“
Well,
”
Mel reasoned, not the least bit moved by Sarah
’
s complaint,
“
all is well that ends well, so they say.
”

Sarah gave her longtime friend a beleaguered glance.
“
Spare me,
”
she pleaded with her.
“
So what did you discover?
”

Mel took her by the hand and dragged her back to the chair. She seized her by the
shoulders and sat her down upon the chair, looking rather pleased with herself.
“
You remember I told you about Peter
’
s alibi?
”

“
Caitlin?
”

“
Yes! I spoke to her!
”

Sarah
’
s brows lifted.
“
You did?
”

“
She was with him!
”

“
Well, of course,
”
Sarah replied, not quite following. Something suddenly twisted in the pit of her
stomach at the thought.
“
How else could she be his alibi?
”
she reasoned.

“
No,
”
Mel returned, giving her a meaningful nod.
“
She was with him.
”

Sarah
’
s gaze fell. Her heart sank.
“
I see.
”
So he wasn
’
t a murderer, but he was an adulterer. One was definitely worse than the other, but
Sarah didn
’
t particularly feel relieved.
“
So he keeps his lover in the house?
”
she surmised.
“
Mary was right, after all. He was betraying her.
”

“
No,
”
Mel said.
“
Not according to Caitlin. It seems he was quite inebriated that night, and did nothing
more than pass out upon the floor—though that apparently was not his intention. Caitlin
stayed to watch over him, because she was afraid he was in much too bad a state...
if you know what I mean?
”
She lifted a brow, then turned and went to the bed, sitting on the edge of it, facing
Sarah.
“
At least she stayed until she was certain he was all right, and then she went to bed—alone—in
the servants
’
quarters. However... he does have a lover, and Caitlin seems
to think her quite manipulative
...
”
Naturally Sarah was curious, though she tried to seem as unconcerned as she was able,
considering the turn of the day
’
s events.
“
Who is she?
”

“
Her name is Cecile Morgan.
”

Sarah
’
s brows lifted.
“
The woman who was here the night of the fire?
”

Mel nodded meaningfully.
“
Precisely.
”

Sarah considered that, and said,
“
I had the distinct impression she was a business partner of sorts.
”

“
It seems she
’
s that, as well.
”

Sarah frowned, still unable to connect the facts.
“
But it has been six years since Mary
’
s death,
”
she reminded Mel.
“
What has Cecile to do with anything at all?
”

“
Tha
t is the most intriguing part.”

Sarah wasn
’
t certain she could agree.

“
According to Caitlin, Peter
’
s sister, Ruth, introduced the two of them seven-odd years ago. At the time Cile was
married to J. W. Morgan, quite a wealthy older fellow. He was fifty-two to Cile
’
s twenty-five—caused a bit of a scandal, the two of them did. At any rate, she and
Peter met, and months later Cile
’
s husband was found dead in his bedroom.
”

“
Do I truly wish to hear his cause of death, Mellie? Don
’
t tell me she sent him to the grave with a smile upon his face,
”
she remarked caustically,
“
because I think I will be sick if you do!
”

“
Hush, now, Sarah,
”
Mel exclaimed,
“
and allow me to finish!
”

Sarah glowered at her.

Mel ignored her.
“Also
... according to Caitlin, J. W.
’
s aged mother claimed to everyone who would listen that Cile had poisoned her son,
but no one would ever believe her and Cile sent the old woman away to some hospital.
”

Sarah
’
s interest was piqued.
“
Quite an interesting tale,
”
she admitted.

“
Isn
’
t it, though?
”
Mel agreed, and lifted a brow suggestively.
“
Particularly when you consider the fact that merely three mont
hs later, Mary ends up murdered... here.”

“
Are you trying to tell me that you suspect Peter once again?
”

“
If
it is true that they are lovers...
I
’
m afraid to say it, but yes. It is an age-old tale, I
’
m afraid; money and love and greed.
”

Sarah sighed.
“
So now he is both a murderer and an adulterer,
”
Sarah said bitterly, and lifted up the portrait of her cousin once more. She stared
at it, trying to imagine what Mary must have felt.
.. all alone here in this house.

Mel watched her.
“
Sarah?
”
she began.

Sarah placed the portrait facedown within her lap.
“
Yes?
”

“
Be careful, dear. I am quite afraid that I might have led you wrong where Peter Holland
is concerned.
”

“
I am quite certain that I don
’
t know what you are speaking of,
”
Sarah said, refusing even to acknowledge her own feelings.

“
I think you do,
”
Mel returned, giving her a pointed glance.
“
I saw him and his son together and perhaps gave him
more favor than he deserved.”

Sarah sighed and confessed,
“
Perhaps we both did.
”
She absently toyed with the frayed back of the portrait, pulling it slightly.

Mel gave her a sympathetic glance.
“
That is not to say he is guilty, Sarah. This is only to say that perhaps, just perhaps,
he might be guilty after all. Somehow, the parts do not equal the sum. I cannot see
that he would hire you in all good faith, and then try to kill you such as that.
”

Sarah nodded, contemplating the truth of that observation.