No Mortal Reason by Kathy Lynn Emerson Page A

whisper, she repeated what little she knew.
    “They’re certain of the identification?”
    “Mr. Grant is. Mr. Howard Grant.”
    “Well, he’d know.”
    The situation had already been chaotic. It descended into bedlam as soon as Mrs. Ellington informed Mrs. Lyseth that her daughter’s remains had been discovered. The dead girl’s mother let out a screech that would have done a banshee proud.
    Another of the new arrivals, a gaunt young man with lank brown hair, rushed to Mercy’s side and, without a by-your-leave, embraced her.
    “Oh, Luke!” she wailed, burying her head on his shoulder. “It is too dreadful for words!”
    The bearded man caught Mrs. Lyseth by the shoulders and began to pray in a loud voice.
    He was a minister, Diana belatedly realized, and berated herself for not knowing that at once from his attire. Unfortunately, his efforts did not seem to calm Mrs. Lyseth in the least. She slapped at his hands. He gave her a shake and began to lecture her on Christian humility.
    By then, the other two men had joined Ben and the workmen. One took exception to Ben’s refusal to let anyone else examine the remains. He objected in such strong terms that Diana’s attention was diverted from Mrs. Lyseth.
    Off to one side, her uncles exchanged soft but obviously heated words. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the flashily-dressed stranger who’d been with them when she arrived. Seizing his chance, he’d slipped away from the others. It was plain he did not want to attract attention to himself as he went. He looked back over his shoulder, then increased his speed when he got close to the corner of the veranda. A woman, who had apparently been standing unnoticed on the sidelines from the beginning, eased out of the shade of an elm tree and followed him at a leisurely pace.
    Diana wondered briefly who they were, but she was soon distracted by the more dramatic scenes being played out all around her. Sebastian had asked her to keep Cousin Mercy and Mrs. Lyseth apart. She supposed she could best accomplish that task by taking Mercy inside. It appeared, however, that this Luke, whoever he was, had prior claim. When Diana looked around for them she discovered that the young man held her cousin nestled in his arms, stroking her back as she sobbed her heart out. Their ease with each other spoke of long intimacy, perhaps even an engagement.
    A prolonged wail of distress had Diana’s head snapping around to stare at Mrs. Lyseth. She was batting at the preacher’s hands, which still clasped her shoulders. Diana moved toward them, unsure what she could do to help the woman, but knowing that she must try. She came to an abrupt halt when she reached a point close enough to hear what they were saying to each other.
    “Damned forever!” Mrs. Lyseth wailed. The expression on her face was one of ecstasy.
    “You know where the fault lies. This town has been perverted into an unsunk Sodom!”
    “Glory! Glory! Glory!” She wasn’t fighting his hold. She was in the throes of religious fervor.
    Diana backed hastily away. Her interference would not be welcome, nor did she wish to draw the preacher’s attention to herself.
    She’d encountered religious zealots before, men who tried to frighten their congregations into abandoning everything that brought joy or pleasure. They forbade such innocent pastimes as singing and dancing. Games were an anathema, especially card games. And they denounced as sinful all reading material save the Bible and forbade attendance at theatrical productions. Diana could imagine what the reaction would be should Mrs. Lyseth and her minister learn that “Mrs. Northcote” had once traveled with a troupe of thespians and now earned her living writing articles for a newspaper.
    After a moment’s hesitation, Diana turned back toward the construction site. She didn’t have to look at the body. She’d go only as far as the edge of the old flooring.
    The fellow who’d been arguing with Ben