Anne Perry - A Breach of Promise

Then Killian and Zillah got up and went for a walk in the garden. The leaves were turning color and the very first few had fallen. The chrysanthemums were in bloom." She glanced at the judge, then back to Sacheverall. "Such a wonderful perfume they have, earthy and warm. They always make me think of everything that is lovely… rich but never vulgar. If only we could always have such perfect taste." She sighed. "Anyway, Killian and Zillah remained outside for some time, but I was in every proper sense still a chaperone. Zillah told me afterwards they were discussing their ideas for a future home, all the things they would most like to have, and how it would be… colors, styles, furniture… everything two people in love would plan for their future."

Rathbone looked at Melville again. Could any man really be such a complete fool as to have spoken to a woman of such things and not know perfectly well she would take it as a prelude to a proposal of marriage?

"Ts that true?" he demanded under his breath.

Melville turned to him. His face was deep pink with the rush of blood to his cheeks, his eyes were hot, but he did not avoid looking straight back.

"Yes… and no…"

"That won't do!" Rathbone said between his teeth. "If you are not honest with me I cannot help you, and believe me, you are going to need every ounce of help I can think of- and more!"

"That may be how she saw it," Melville answered, looking down now, not at Rathbone. His voice was low and tense. "We did talk about houses and furnishings. But it wasn't for us! I'm an architect… houses are not only my profession, they are my love. I'll talk about design to anyone! I was making suggestions to her about the things she wanted in a home and how they could be achieved. I told her of new ways of creating more warmth, more light and color, of bringing to life the dreams she had. But it was for her-not for both of us!" He turned to face Rathbone again. "I would have spoken the same way to anyone. Yes, of course we laughed together-we were friends…" His eyes were full of distress. Rathbone could have sworn he held that friendship dear and the loss of it hurt him.

Delphine Lambert was still talking, describing other occasions when Melville and Zillah Lambert had been together, their easy companionship, their quick understanding of each other's thoughts, their shared laughter at a score of little things.

Rathbone looked across at the jurors' faces. Their sympathy was unmistakable. To change their minds it would take a revelation about Zillah Lambert so powerful and so shocking it would shatter any emotion they felt now so that they would be left angry and betrayed. And Melville had sworn there was no such secret. Was it conceivable he knew something of her which made it impossible to marry her, yet he still cared for her too deeply to expose it-even to save himself?

It would have to be something her parents did not know, or they would never have risked his revealing it. They could not rely on Melville's self-sacrifice.

And Zillah herself would not dare to tell them, even to save Melville, and thus this whole tragic farce.

Rathbone would have to press Melville harder, until he at last spoke of whatever it was he was still hiding. And Rathbone had felt certain from the first that there was something.

He turned his attention back to the court.

Delphine was describing some grand social event, a ball or a dinner party. Her face was alight with remembered excitement.

"All the girls were simply lovely," she said, her voice soft, her slender hands on the rail in front of her, lightly touching it, not gripping. She might have held a dancing partner so. "The gowns were exquisite." She smiled as she spoke. "Like so many flowers blown in the wind as they swirled around the floor. The chandeliers blazed and were reflected on jewels and hair. The young men were all so dashing. Perhaps it was happiness which made everything seem so glamorous, but I don't think so. I believe it was real. And Killian danced the whole evening with Zillah. He barely spoke with anyone else at all. He sat a few dances out, but I swear I did not see him pay the slightest heed to any other lady, no matter how beautiful or how charming." She gave a little shrug of her shoulders. "And there were many titled ladies there, and heiresses to considerable fortunes. On that particular occasion Lady-"

Sacheverall held up his hand. "I am sure a great many people of note were there, Mrs. Lambert. What is important is that Mr. Melville paid very obvious court to your daughter, for everyone to see, and his intent could hardly be mistaken or misinterpreted. Now, madam, I must bring you to a far more painful area, for which I apologize. I most truly wish I could avoid it, but there is no way in which it is possible."

"I understand." Delphine nodded, the light going from her face, her body seeming almost to shrink as she dismissed past happiness and faced the present icy disillusion. "Do what is necessary, Mr. Sacheverall."

"You have just told me how publicly and how obviously Mr. Melville courted your daughter. It must have been common knowledge among all your acquaintances, indeed in all society, that they were to be married?"

"Of course." She raised her beautiful eyebrows. "She did not hide her joy. What young girl does?"

"Exactly." Sacheverall took several paces to one side, then to the other. He moved elegantly, and he was aware of it. He stopped and faced her again. "When Mr. Melville suddenly, and for no reason that we may observe, broke off the engagement and refused to go through with the ceremony, what effect did this have upon Miss Lambert's reputation, the way in which she is regarded by society, and her hopes for any future marriage?"

"Of course it will ruin her!" The panic rose in Delphine's voice, "How could it possibly do anything else? People will ask why, and when there is no answer, they will assume the worst. Everyone does, don't they?"

"Yes, Mrs. Lambert, I am afraid it is one of the less attractive characteristics of human nature," Sacheverall said with ardent sympathy. "Even when it is unjustified." He smiled ruefully. "And beauty has its disadvantages in that it increases envy among those less fortunate."

Delphine looked on the verge of tears. "And she is innocent of everything!" she said desperately. "It is so unfair!" Her eyes swept across the jury and then back to Sacheverall. "How could he do this to her-to anyone? It is wicked beyond belief! I can hear them already, beginning to ask each other what can be wrong with her. What does he know about her that he is not saying?" She looked at him defiantly. "And there is nothing! Nothing at all! She is modest; clever enough, but not too clever; lovely but not too proud or self-obsessed; and as honorable as it is possible to be." She gulped, and her voice dropped huskily. "And she was so in love with him. It is so wicked I just cannot imagine why he is doing it! You have to find out! You have to prove it is Killian Melville, not Zillah, who is evil and perverse."

"We shall do, Mrs. Lambert," Sacheverall said gently. "We will prove to the court, and to society, that Miss Lambert has been wronged without cause. Her reputation shall be restored. It would be monstrous that she should have her entire future ruined because of one young man's irresponsibility at best, dishonesty or immorality at worst. Will you be so good as to remain there in case Sir Oliver wishes to ask you anything? Thank you, Mrs. Lambert." He turned to Rathbone invitingly.

The expression of confidence in his face was sufficient warning. Rathbone knew he would get nothing from Delphine Lambert. Almost alone she had built the case. And she had done it without exaggeration. Such breaking of a betrothal after what seemed to everyone a natural love affair would suggest to even the well disposed that there was something profoundly wrong with Zillah Lambert but that Melville was too much of a gentleman to expose her.