Seeing it, April said wryly, “Edward’s a better man than you thought him.And you’re a worse one than he thought you.”
Barley’s gaze fell.“I don’t like the man.I hit him too hard.I must have meant to.”
“And then you had to cover it up,” Piers said.“You thought you’d killed him.But you’ve dealt with crimes before, so you know not to leave evidence.You didn’t walk on the path in case you left footprints.You walked on the rough grass, in the shadows of the wood so that no one glimpsing you from the house would recognize you, as you went up to the summer house.I don’t know how long you waited there, but on the way back, you encountered Edward, hit him, and took your blood stained weapon with you.I suppose it’s in the wood somewhere, though there’s nothing to connect it to you.”
“Then you can’t know it was him,” Edward said, a hint of his old smug bravado appearing.
“No,” Piers admitted.
“But his neighbour saw him leave his cottage at about eleven on Saturday night,” Stewart said from the doorway.
“And he wasn’t in the inn that night,” Piers added.“Hardly conclusive as I would be the first to admit.But now we come to the reason for the attack.The person Edward had arranged to meet in the summer house.”
For the first time, the eyes of victim and perpetrator met, and slid apart almost at once.And yet April could have sworn some kind of communication passed.Neither would talk.
“Stewart, would you ring for Becky?”April said deliberately.
Barley started visibly.
Wordlessly, Stewart stood aside and Becky walked nervously into the room.
“There’s no need, my lady,” she whispered.“I heard what’s going on.It was me was supposed to meet Edward.Because me and Peggy knew he’d been stringing us both along.She had the strength to throw him over.I still wanted to believe I meant something to him, so I let myself be persuaded, just to talk, to hear what he had to say.Only when I thought about it, I couldn’t make up my mind whether or not to go.Lady Temperley kept me back for a little, so I had no choice at first.Then I made up my mind to go, just to finish everything with Edward for good.Only I bumped into your lordship and took fright, and you told me about the accident...”
Becky swallowed, and faded into silence, though a frown pulled at her brow and she kept darting uncomprehending glances at Barley.
“Barley kept a close eye on this house,” Piers said.“At first just because of his obsession, and then out of concern for Becky when he heard the gossip about her and Edward.He knew where Edward had trysted with a previous lover on a Saturday night.So he went to protect her.”
“Oh, come, Piers,” Fosterson interrupted with sudden impatience.“The constable decided to take the law into his own hands?Administer a lethal thrashing just because Edward was debauching yet another maiden?”
“And insulted said maiden by lack of faithfulness to her,” Piers said mildly.“Can you not see that Becky was his obsession?”
Barley stood like a statue, his normally ruddy face almost as white as Edward’s.Fosterson looked from the maid to the constable.
“No,” he said frankly.
“That’s the thing,” Piers said.“People are discounted or invisible for all sorts of reasons—too odd, too ill-bred, too old.”His gaze skimmed over the constable to Becky.“Or they are overshadowed by more popular or more obviously pretty companions.We are all guilty of it from time to time.But BarleysawBecky, valued her.Loved her.”
“I never looked at her,” Barley said hoarsely.He still wasn’t looking at her.“I never touched her.I’m an old fool but I know my limitations.I’d steeled myself to accept that a worthy young man would snap her up...”
“Only Edward did,” April said.“Not worthy and not faithful.Or at least, not till you almost killed him.”
Barley closed his eyes again.
Edward said steadily, “I won’t accuse him.”
Barley opened his eyes, looking right at the man he had assaulted.“I did it from madness.It’s the only motive I’ll confess to.”
“Dash it, Withy, you’ve no proof and no case,” Fosterson said in frustration.“The perpetrator gets off free!”
“Not free,” Piers said vaguely.“Not quite.I think it’s probably time he retired and moved away from here.”
“Go to your sister,” Becky said eagerly.“She lives by the sea now, don’t she?Must be lovely and peaceful there.”
Barley, as dazed by the idea of not being hanged as that it was Becky advising him, shook his head in bewilderment.
“What’s the wretched point, Withy?”Fosterson exploded.“You’ve achieved nothing!”
April frowned at him.“It’s not about winning.It never was.Sometimes, you can just do a little good in the world.”
