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All the way to Woodcroft House, Athena’s eyes burned with unshed tears, and a new thought pounded in her brain.

Was Edward Ackroyd’s show of pain and bravado genuine, or was it just an act?

If he had indeed committed the murder that had doomed Caroline Vernon, why didn’t he come forward now?

Perhaps, after nine long years apart, he didn’t love her as much as he claimed… or as much as his own life and freedom.

But then again, what about Mrs. Hunt’s admission that she had been blackmailed by a blond person wearing a mask? That couldn’t have been Edward Ackroyd. Even if he had still been in England at the time, Athena couldn’t reconcile the idea of his having framed his true love for murder.

It was all such a conundrum.

Athena entered through the rear gate of Woodcroft House and was halfway across the grounds when she spied Mr. Vernon walking in her direction, as if he had just come from the mansion.

Normally, Athena was steeped in joy at the sight of him. But she felt no joy today. Her heart seemed to be made of lead. All night long, she’d been thinking and worrying about Mr. Vernon, aware that last night’s events would bring him unspeakable pain.

Indeed, his shoulders sagged, and every step seemed to require great effort.

Even at this distance, Athena could discern his downcast eyes and haggard expression.

Had he come to Woodcroft House on a mission similar to hers, to plead with Mr. Sinclair for mercy on Caroline Vernon’s behalf?

If so, she guessed it had not gone well.

Anxiety and grief rose again as if to choke her. She loved him, although she had never told him. And how could she tell him now?

He crossed the stretch of lawn to her and removed his hat. “Miss Taylor.”

“Mr. Vernon. This is all so shocking and… I’m so very, very sorry.” She offered him her hand.

He took her hand and squeezed it, meeting her gaze with anguished, red-rimmed eyes. “It is a calamity. I visited Caroline at the lock-up this morning but was only allowed to stay five minutes.”

“How is she?”

“She put on a brave face for my sake. She says she is resigned to her fate, that I must be prepared to let her go. But I cannot!” He paused. “I know bad news travels fast, but I’m not sure how much you know about the circumstances?”

Athena spoke frankly. “I know how hard you have worked all these years, Mr. Vernon, to keep your sister safe. I discovered the secret room in the attic at Thorndale Manor.”

“Ah.” He frowned. “I figured you would find it sooner or later.”

“Last night, Mrs. Lloyd told me and Selena the history of Miss Vernon’s escape from the gallows, and that she had a child who was given away.”

“Ah,” he said again.

“I know Miss Vernon was very ill for a time and chose to remain at Thorndale Manor. Until you were obliged to remove her to the attic at Darkmoor Park.”

He nodded slowly. “Well, then. I suppose as they say, the jig is up. Thankfully, however, Neville Sinclair has not got wind of Caroline’s actual whereabouts for the past nine years.

He bought my sister’s story that she’s been living out of the country.

I cannot admit the truth—I can’t allow any blame to fall on Mrs. Hillman.

Although I don’t care so much about myself, I must remain free if I’m to have any hope of helping my sister.

I pray that you and Miss Selena will keep this knowledge to yourselves? ”

“You may be assured of our discretion.”

“Thank you.” He shook his head. “I’ve just spent the past hour pleading with Sinclair to set my sister free, but the man won’t see reason.

” Mr. Vernon’s brow furrowed. “One thing puzzles me. He said you were at Darkmoor Park last night when my sister was discovered? That you were attacked by someone, and it was your screams that drew him to the attic?”

Athena’s stomach tightened with shame, and it was all she could do to look him in the eye. “Yes. Someone must have followed me up there—but my lantern was extinguished. They grabbed me in the dark and tried to throw me out an open window.”

His jaw dropped. “Dear lord!”

“Your sister fought him off. How she managed it in the pitch darkness is beyond me.”

He frowned at that. “Caroline has lived in the dark for so long, she has developed excellent night vision. She never dared to light a candle, you see, for fear it would be noticed that someone was residing in the attic.”

“Oh. I hadn’t thought of that.”

“But why on Earth would someone want to kill you?” His breath caught. “Oh. It’s because you’ve been looking into the murder of Harold Sinclair, isn’t it?”

“I think so. If your sister hadn’t come to my rescue, I would have surely died.”

“Oh, Miss Taylor.” He heaved another ragged sigh. “I warned you not to pursue that. Perhaps now you understand why?”

“Yes.” Athena’s guilty conscience reared its head again. “You feared that an investigation into your sister’s history would lead to her exposure.”

“Yes. But I also worried that you might put yourself in danger. Which has proven to be the case.”

Athena nodded, her pulse beating erratically. Any minute now, he was going to ask what she’d been doing in that attic. She owed him the truth but dreaded how he might react. “I’m going to tell Neville Sinclair everything I’ve learned.”

“What have you learned? You have a lot of theories but no proof and not a single viable suspect.”

“That remains to be seen,” she replied, desperate to defend herself. “Someone just tried to kill me for looking into this. That has to mean something. Plus, I found the woman who lied on the witness stand.”

“Ethel Leighton?”

“Her married name is Hunt. She lives in Duxley-on-Green. I paid her a visit.”

His brows arched. “What did she say?”

“She admitted what she’d done and why.” Athena described the meeting. “Unfortunately, I couldn’t persuade her to come forward. But when Mr. Sinclair hears about this, he’ll surely reopen the case against your sister.”

“I wouldn’t count on it. I doubt he will listen to you any more than he did to me.” He hesitated, his expression tensing. “There’s still something about all this that I don’t understand. What were you doing in the attic at Darkmoor Park last night in the first place?”

There it is. Athena swallowed hard. There was no putting it off any longer. Twisting her hands, she admitted, “I feel so foolish about this now. But I went to Darkmoor Park to satisfy my curiosity.”

“About what?”

“I had hoped to discover—or rather to prove—the identity of Pryor Corbett.”

“Pryor Corbett?” He stared at her. “The author?”

She told him about the page she had found beneath the floorboards. “It was a scene that I knew had not yet been published. I cannot account for how that page came to be there. I know it sounds mad now, but I became convinced that you were Pryor Corbett.”

“Me?” A short laugh escaped Mr. Vernon’s chest.

“I thought the hidden room had been your private writing getaway, until you sold Thorndale Manor. I got it into my head that your new writing lair was at Darkmoor Park. While everyone was at the concert, I snuck up to the attic to see if there was indeed a hidden room.”

Silence fell as Mr. Vernon digested this. “ That was your purpose in going there? To unmask me as a reclusive author?”

A fresh wave of hot guilt impaled Athena’s chest. “Forgive me. It was the most innocent of pretexts. I could never have foreseen how it would all play out.”

“How it would all play out ?” He gave her a cold, hard stare. “This innocent pretext of yours exposed my sister to the very man who had arrested her in the first place, and who will now send her to her death.”

“I’m so sorry.” Tears started again in Athena’s eyes. “I blame myself entirely. If only I could undo it, I would.”

“It’s too late to undo it, Miss Taylor. I fear the die has been cast. My sister will hang this time. I see no way to prevent it.” Anger and resentment simmered in every syllable he uttered. “But there is an irony of all of this.”

Athena choked back a sob. “What irony?”

“That manuscript page you found? It did indeed come from the pen of Pryor Corbett.”

“How?”

“Pryor Corbett is none other than my sister, Caroline.”

With that, Mr. Vernon stalked away, leaving a dumbfounded and wretched Athena in his wake.