Page 64 of In Want of a Suspect

“Because you’re sad, and I thought you could use a friend.”

“We are friends?”

He deserved that. “Josette... I’m sorry.”

“You already said that.”

“No, I know... I mean, I’m sorry for before.” That got her attention. She turned to look at him, pinning him in place with her wide, red-rimmed eyes. Darcy couldn’t stop now. “I’m sorry about the way I asked you to marry me. I knew I had missed the mark afterward, but it wasn’t until very recently that I’ve taken into consideration how my proposal must have come across.”

Josette’s mouth had fallen open in shock. “That is not what I expected you to say.”

“I didn’t mean to cause you any more distress.” He looked away, wishing he could leave. As a rule, he tended to barrel through awkward conversations with steely composure. Sitting with his own discomfort was not at all pleasant.

“No, Darcy... thank you.” She touched his arm. “For whatever it’s worth, I was very cross at the time, but I’ve long since let go of any anger. You are honorable, Darcy. We were just ill-suited.”

A weight he hadn’t realized he’d been carrying seemed tolift slowly, and then all at once. Hereallyhoped that she was not culpable for either the fire or the murder. “Thank you, Josette. I’m happy you had enough sense for the both of us back then. And... I’m happy you have found Mr. Hughes.”

She smiled a little then. “I am very lucky.”

Darcy hated himself for what he was about to say next. “I was especially happy he was here... that day. I did not want you to be alone.”

She looked back out the window again. “He’s barely left me alone since then. He’s only gone at the moment to obtain a special license.”

Darcy wasn’t sure he’d heard her correctly. “A special license! But you don’t mean...”

“We’ll marry first thing tomorrow morning,” she said shortly. “I don’t want to wait. What use do I have for parties and celebrations now? At least after tomorrow, I won’t have to be alone.”

Some instinct in him wanted to beg her not to marry Richard Hughes—but what right did he have to ask her to delay her wedding? It wasn’t as though he could say,Don’t marry him until I can clear him as a suspect.

“You never told me about Leticia,” he blurted out. “I didn’t even know you had a cousin.”

“There is a great deal you don’t know about me, Darcy, which is why I am marrying Mr. Hughes tomorrow, not you.” Her barbed look was not as sharp as when he’d first walked into the room, but Darcy took it as a warning.

“It’s just that... you must promise me you’ll be careful, Josette.”

“I’ve been careful my whole life,” Josette said with a scoff. “Why are you so concerned now?”

“Because whoever killed Leticia might come after you next.”

There, he’d said it. But now that the fear was voiced, Josette didn’t appear especially worried or shocked. “As far as I am concerned, that snake Jack Mullins is likely the cause of her death. I don’t have proof, but he wanted to accuse someone—a French someone. And you led him straight to us.”

Her words hit in harder than a blow. “If that’s true, then I am eternally sorry. But forgive me, I have to ask... is there any reason that Mr. Mullins may have to despise Mr. Hughes?”

“What? Mr. Hughes is above reproach, sir!”

Darcy didn’t want to press her, but he had to. “Perhaps not necessarily on purpose. But if they’d had a disagreement, for example—”

“Absolutely not! Mr. Hughes hardly knows the man!”

“Something to do with his mines?”

Josette blinked rapidly. “His mines? I know nothing about his mines. Darcy, what are you implying?”

“Nothing! But if there is some connection, some stone yet unturned—”

But Darcy could tell that he’d lost control of the situation. Josette stood. “I want you to leave.”

He also stood but didn’t make any move for the door. “I don’tmean to sound uncaring, but it is my job to inquire. I care about you—”