name, he could easily just
disappear. After all, if she had nothing, then he couldn’t be accused of taking
anything from her. He wouldn’t be the first guy to sweet-talk a girl. And if
she were rich, his plan wouldn’t have worked unless they married. Remember, she
was only seventeen. She hadn’t reached her majority so even if she had any
money in a Trust Fund, she would not have access to it.”
“So perhaps she refused to marry him and he became angry.”
“I guess that would work. I also guess you’re only thinking
your way through all this for the sake of the crime on the mystery weekend,
right?”
“Of course. Why else?”
But the more Philly thought about it, the more she thought
she would like to find out what happened to Dominique DuPont. It seemed to her
that the girl’s fortunes were somehow tied up in her own. Or perhaps it was
just a way of taking her mind off Matt.
She ought to order him out of the house immediately, after
what she heard, but something stopped her. Maybe she was every bit as foolish
as Dominique DuPont might have been, desperate to believe in a man who was
clearly up to no good. She had to admit there was a small part of her that
hoped she had misunderstood Matt’s telephone conversation. But she could not
ignore the fact that he had told the person on the other end of the line about
trying to get into the attic. Why? Was it possible there was something up there
that she did not know about?
She was reminded of the film Gaslight , in which
Ingrid Bergman’s psychotic husband, played by Charles Boyer, was desperate to
find some precious jewels belonging to Ingrid’s late aunt. They had eventually
been found sewn into a dress. Was there something like that in the attic of
Bedlington Hall? More importantly, was Matt as psychotic as the man in the
film? What lengths might he go to in order to find his heart’s desire?
Looking at his clean-cut American good looks as they walked
across the lawn, she found it hard to believe. Who knew what lay beneath the
surface of his lightly tanned skin?
Ingrid Bergman’s mistake in the film had been not trusting
anyone with her fears. Philly was made of stronger stuff than that. As soon as
she could, she would tell Meg and Puck what she had heard. There was safety in
numbers.
Except … she was pretty sure that Puck would turn Matt
straight out of the house, to protect Meg and Philly. That would be the right
thing to do, of course. So why did she hesitate?
Philly’s mind whirled. What could she do for the best? She
should turn Matt out herself, yet something stopped her. Not only was Dominique
DuPont’s story tied up with hers somehow, she felt that Matt’s story was too.
Everything from the moment they met had felt inevitable, including their actual
meeting on the steps of the auction house. It really was as if he stepped onto
the stage at exactly the right moment in Philly’s life. It could even be the
wrong moment, if he meant her harm. Even a bad guy has to make his entrance
sometime.
He was far too young to have known Dominique DuPont, but
maybe he knew the man who conned her. Or maybe he knew the girl’s family. Had
Dominique left something in the attic at Bedlington Hall besides her trunk? Or
perhaps, like the Robespierre painting, there was something else in the trunk.
Philly made a silent promise to check it thoroughly as soon as she had a
chance. It might have a secret compartment.
Meanwhile, her biggest question was whether to let Matt stay
in the house for another night. He had offered to leave that morning and she
kicked herself for not accepting the offer then.
As it turned out, she need not have worried.
Rachel Jenson had already arrived with the film crew when
Philly and Matt got to the house. She was in the kitchen with Puck and Meg,
drinking coffee and eating chocolate brownies. Her cameraman, Joe, was with
her. He looked as if he had eaten more than a few brownies in his time, but it
did not stop him tucking into
disappear. After all, if she had nothing, then he couldn’t be accused of taking
anything from her. He wouldn’t be the first guy to sweet-talk a girl. And if
she were rich, his plan wouldn’t have worked unless they married. Remember, she
was only seventeen. She hadn’t reached her majority so even if she had any
money in a Trust Fund, she would not have access to it.”
“So perhaps she refused to marry him and he became angry.”
“I guess that would work. I also guess you’re only thinking
your way through all this for the sake of the crime on the mystery weekend,
right?”
“Of course. Why else?”
But the more Philly thought about it, the more she thought
she would like to find out what happened to Dominique DuPont. It seemed to her
that the girl’s fortunes were somehow tied up in her own. Or perhaps it was
just a way of taking her mind off Matt.
She ought to order him out of the house immediately, after
what she heard, but something stopped her. Maybe she was every bit as foolish
as Dominique DuPont might have been, desperate to believe in a man who was
clearly up to no good. She had to admit there was a small part of her that
hoped she had misunderstood Matt’s telephone conversation. But she could not
ignore the fact that he had told the person on the other end of the line about
trying to get into the attic. Why? Was it possible there was something up there
that she did not know about?
She was reminded of the film Gaslight , in which
Ingrid Bergman’s psychotic husband, played by Charles Boyer, was desperate to
find some precious jewels belonging to Ingrid’s late aunt. They had eventually
been found sewn into a dress. Was there something like that in the attic of
Bedlington Hall? More importantly, was Matt as psychotic as the man in the
film? What lengths might he go to in order to find his heart’s desire?
Looking at his clean-cut American good looks as they walked
across the lawn, she found it hard to believe. Who knew what lay beneath the
surface of his lightly tanned skin?
Ingrid Bergman’s mistake in the film had been not trusting
anyone with her fears. Philly was made of stronger stuff than that. As soon as
she could, she would tell Meg and Puck what she had heard. There was safety in
numbers.
Except … she was pretty sure that Puck would turn Matt
straight out of the house, to protect Meg and Philly. That would be the right
thing to do, of course. So why did she hesitate?
Philly’s mind whirled. What could she do for the best? She
should turn Matt out herself, yet something stopped her. Not only was Dominique
DuPont’s story tied up with hers somehow, she felt that Matt’s story was too.
Everything from the moment they met had felt inevitable, including their actual
meeting on the steps of the auction house. It really was as if he stepped onto
the stage at exactly the right moment in Philly’s life. It could even be the
wrong moment, if he meant her harm. Even a bad guy has to make his entrance
sometime.
He was far too young to have known Dominique DuPont, but
maybe he knew the man who conned her. Or maybe he knew the girl’s family. Had
Dominique left something in the attic at Bedlington Hall besides her trunk? Or
perhaps, like the Robespierre painting, there was something else in the trunk.
Philly made a silent promise to check it thoroughly as soon as she had a
chance. It might have a secret compartment.
Meanwhile, her biggest question was whether to let Matt stay
in the house for another night. He had offered to leave that morning and she
kicked herself for not accepting the offer then.
As it turned out, she need not have worried.
Rachel Jenson had already arrived with the film crew when
Philly and Matt got to the house. She was in the kitchen with Puck and Meg,
drinking coffee and eating chocolate brownies. Her cameraman, Joe, was with
her. He looked as if he had eaten more than a few brownies in his time, but it
did not stop him tucking into
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