"She had been forced into prudence in her youth, she learned romance as she grew older – the natural sequel of an unnatural beginning."

Jane Austen

“There are not so many candidates, in fact,” Estley begins to speculate. “It is quite obvious that the offender lives in the mansion. Just in case, I have checked whether an intruder would be able to enter the house at night on a regular basis.”

“What did you discover?” I ask.

“It is extremely unlikely.”

By the way the Count winces, I realize: he doesn't even consider this option, but he used the word "unlikely" only because he does not like to operate with such concepts as "impossible".

“So, we can list the suspects,” continues Estley. “Family members: Yolanda, Alexander, and the late Baron's cousin. At the same time, Alexander can be eliminated because of the aforementioned reason. Yolanda is herself a victim.”

“Incidentally, this fact does not guarantee her innocence,” I muse. “In the end, she could have made up all of these assassinations. It is unclear for what purpose, but then a lot of things are unclear in this whole case. Let's just say that it is probably not she; however, I would not cross her off the list of suspects just yet.”

Estley nods in agreement.

“Let's continue. Senior servants. Those are first of all the nanny — she is almost a part of the family — and the butler, Ricardo Ortalier.”

I bite my lip. Should I tell the Count about Yolanda's relationship with the butler? On the one hand, it seems as though I shouldn't. This is the young woman's private life, her own business, a mystery that I stumbled upon quite by accident, and that most likely doesn't have anything to do with our case. Besides, Yolanda was extremely afraid of Estley finding out about this. On the other hand, what if this fact is actually important for the investigation?

“I carefully checked the alibis of the four — the relatives and senior servants,” Estley continues. “None of them have one. This is not surprising, given that both assassination attempts occurred at night. Then there are the other servants. There are more of them — fourteen people. Actually, fifteen if you count the thirteen-year-old errand boy. I did not delve into their alibis, but it is likely that most of them don't have one either, for the same reason. In general, there are not too many possible suspects: it is not a palace. We shall certainly find the culprit. But the reluctance of our hosts to be exposed to any publicity is certainly throwing a twist into our work. The need to keep matters private significantly slows down the process.”

“Speaking of publicity...”

Finally casting aside any lingering doubts, I tell Estley of the conversation I overheard.

“So you think that these two are lovers?” he asks, when my short story comes to an end.

“It seems so, yes,” I respond. “Actually, it's not so surprising, given the character of the late Baron. He would not allow anyone to approach his daughter, absolutely rejecting all suitors as unworthy and inappropriate. What was she to do? In fact, taking the butler as a lover is the most logical move in that situation. In a way, he is not even really a servant. The way I see it, his job is more to look after the other servants, and in the case of the absence of the hosts he remains in charge here. I would compare him to the castellan in the castle. In short, I can understand Yolanda, and I believe that we should not expose her relationship, unless there's a really good reason.”

“Well, in that case we will have to check Ricardo Ortalier independently, without involving aides,” Estley concludes. It's good that you told me everything. I really was not aware of it. This can be important. The butler had already struck me as suspicious.”

“How are you going to investigate him?” I ask curiously.

“First, I'll look in his bed,” he says calmly.

My eyes widen in surprise, and Estley laughs.

“I'll search his room,” he explains. “In most cases, when people do not have a safe, they hide their most valuable things near their bed. Put it under the mattress, arrange a makeshift hiding place in the floor or just very simply hide it under the pillow. It makes them feel that the object is as safe and sound as can be. In fact, they just make the search much easier.”

“So you think Ricardo is hiding something that could compromise him in his bedroom?”

“If Ricardo has something that might compromise him, then most likely, yes. However, until we find it, we don't know for sure.”

“Do you want to go now?”

Despite the late hour, I am eager for some action.

“At night? “Estley looks at me incredulously. “When he is sleeping peacefully in his bed? You know, if he sees you in your daring outfit pawing over his bed, he may interpret it incorrectly.”

“He won't,” I grimace in response to his undisguised derision. “Because, most likely, he's in a completely different bed right now. I'm telling you, I saw him entering Yolanda's bedroom. Certainly after my performance they returned there.”

“On the contrary,” says Estley. “Your performance caused a considerable stir in the house. Not only did Yolanda and Ricardo run out of their rooms, but many others. So those two couldn't just leave together. The butler was forced to return to his room, so as not to arouse suspicion.”

“He probably went back to Yolanda's room as soon as the dust settled,” I continue to insist.

“I don't think so,” Estley shakes his head. “Most likely, they decided not to risk getting caught again: what if someone were unable to sleep and decided to walk around the house? So I assume that this night will be a completely chaste one for our butler.”

“Well,” I sigh, considering his arguments. “When, then, do you propose to pay a visit to his room?”

“Tomorrow morning,” Estley responds. “When he is busy with work. And now — unless, of course, there are any more performances on our schedule — I propose we go to bed.”

I do not argue: given the length of the trip, the day was tiring. At some point I see uncertainty flash in Estley's eyes, and it seems to me that he is going to propose that we switch beds. But in the end he says nothing, and each of us tries to settle comfortably where we originally planned to.

“I'll quickly search the room while you stand out here on the lookout and give me a sign if anyone approaches,” orders Estley.

We stand at the threshold of Ricardo's bedroom, which is located on the ground floor, in an empty semi-dark hallway.

“Well, I will not!” I am indignant. “Let's do it the other way around. I'll go inside and you wait out here.”

“Why on earth would I do that?” Estley frowns angrily.

“And why on earth should I have to stand here and click my heels?” I retort.

“Because I know how to conduct a search properly,” Estley replies. “While you have no experience with such things.”

“Not true at all,” I retort. “Quite the contrary. You have a crowd of subordinates, and you most likely do not personally conduct searches. While I am used to doing everything myself.”

“That's why I suggest,” snickers Estley. “That you yourself stand out here in the corridor.”

I purse my lips and put my hands on my hips.

“Maybe I should remind you who managed to steal the portrait from the Duke's safe?”

“Perhaps I should remind you who stopped you from stealing it? “

“Strictly speaking, I still managed to take it out of the office.”

“Strictly speaking, you didn't have time to use it. Damn! How do you do that?” He huffs in a fit of temper.

“What exactly?” I do not understand.

“Draw me into these stupid, childish squabbles! Damn you, you want to go — go!”

“Great! I will!" I rub my hands in anticipation, and step over the threshold.

“Do you have any idea,” Estley grabs me around the waist. "What risk you are running? If anyone were to come back here, it would be you caught in a stranger’s room.”

“So what? You will then rescue me.”

“Do not even think about it! I will just pretend that I happened to be passing by.”

“Well, well. In that case, I will climb out through the window. I am used to it after all.”

With these words, I slip into the room, leaving the Count to swear under his breath outside.

I do not have to look long. Estley was right. It was enough to move the pillow from the headboard and look under the mattress. There I find a folded sheet of paper. I quickly scan the document, which is written in a beautiful cursive handwriting. My eyes widen and I reread it, this time more carefully, just to make sure that my eyes did not deceive me, and that I understood everything correctly. Although it would be hard to misread that.

“Well, what is it?” Estley calls demandingly.

From where he stands he can see that I have found something interesting. I walk over to him.

“It seems that we don't have to look any further.”

“Are you sure?”

“Quite.”

“Then let's go. This is not the best place to study any materials.”

With these words, Estley starts walking quickly down the corridor. I try to catch up with the Count, marveling at his ability to control his own curiosity. I would have insisted on knowing the contents of the document immediately.

"I hereby certify that Ricardo Ortalier and Yolanda Grondezh were joined in holy matrimony on this sixth day of May …", Estley reads out loud.

Once again we settle in the room allocated to us, which has been converted by this weird twist of fate into a council room of sorts.

“This fundamentally changes the situation, does it not?” I say, crossing my legs. “Now Ricardo is Yolanda's heir, not Alexander.”

“Thus the principle of 'who benefits' points to a different man,” Estley says, as if to himself. “No wonder he looked suspicious to me. His behavior has not been entirely consistent with that of a servant — even a higher ranking one.”

“I feel sorry for the girl,” I say.

“Yeah, Lady Yolanda has landed herself in quite a situation.” Lord Cameron shakes his head.

“I'm still inclined to blame her father, first and foremost,” I reply, looking around just in case, to see if the Baron has heard us and considers it necessary to express his own point of view on the matter.

“It's not about who is to blame, but rather who has to face the consequences,” Estley states. “First and foremost Lady Yolanda created problems for herself. Moreover, apparently quite serious ones.”

“It's true.” I agree. “Did you notice the fact that the marriage ceremony took place just a week before the Baron's death?”

“I did,” confirms Estley. Then again, that's not surprising at all. For a person like him to overlook such a detail? “I have also learned that Ricardo started to work in the mansion only a short while before that.”

“Really?”

My eyebrows shoot up.

“About two weeks prior to the wedding. At first I noticed it but did not consider it to be of great importance. But the information we have discovered makes the circumstances look quite different. So let’s recap what we have. A man whose detailed background we have yet to clarify is hired to work in the Grondezh family home. Taking advantage of the fact that the daughter of the Baron — the main heir — leads a secluded life in a way, and is deprived of male attention, he seduces her and secretly persuades her to become his wife. A week after they are married, the baron dies, allegedly succumbing to an illness. Then after yet another few weeks there are attempts on the young woman's life. It is quite difficult not to suspect foul play.”

“The only thing that confuses me,” I say, “Is the fact that Ricardo saved her during the second attempt.”

“I would not take this fact too seriously,” Estley replies. “Maybe he wanted to divert suspicion from himself. After all, he had no doubt that Lady Yolanda would tell the others about the incident. Or maybe... you know, anything can happen. Perhaps, as she was about to fall, she turned and accidentally saw him. After meeting her eyes he just couldn't go through with it. It sounds absurd, but it happens. Stabbing someone in the back is much easier than having to see your victim face to face.”

“So what are you going to do?” I ask. “We cannot tarry: he can finish the job at any time. Should we call the guard?”

“Well, no,” Estley shakes his head after some contemplation. “I will try to spare her and not raise noise around this case. We can cope with it with the resources we have. I'll call my guy.”

Lord Cameron’s "guy", whom I had mistaken yesterday for an ordinary coach driver, turns out to be a very strong young man with the habits of an experienced fighter. Along with those habits come a sword, a dagger and shackles.

The circumstances could not have been more favorable for us. There are practically no outsiders in the living room. Yolanda and Alexander are sitting at a round table, she is embroidering while he is reading. Ricardo is standing to the side talking quietly about something with a servant. We quickly enter the room: Estley, then his servant; I am following them. The men immediately go to the butler. I make a sign to the servant to leave the room immediately. There is no time for Ricardo to blink an eye — and his wrists are now adorned by shackles.

Yolanda, with a cry, springs to her feet. Alexander does not expect such a turn of events either, but is not shocked, because he knows the true purpose of Estley's visit. Remaining indifferent to the emotional reaction of the girl, the Count looks at Ricardo and nods toward the nearest chair.

“Now, young man, let's talk.”

The butler, against my expectations, neither rebels nor indignantly claims his innocence. He only angrily glares at Estley, sighs and then slumps in his seat, saying, "Well, maybe it's for the best."

“Lord Cameron, release him immediately!” demandingly exclaims Yolanda.

At that moment she looks nothing like the poor intimidated young woman, more than anything else afraid of her family's disapproval. Her face is flushed; her eyebrows furrowed threateningly and her nostrils flare with anger.

“Hold on, young lady,” Estley interrupts here, not too politely. “Please sit down and wait until we finish handling it.”

Yolanda obeys, although not immediately. Lord Cameron sits across from Ricardo, while the Count's companion stands behind the alleged perpetrator. I sit down next to Alexander.

Estley draws the marriage certificate from his pocket and waves it in Ricardo's face.

“What is this?” says Alexander.

“This indicates...” Lord Cameron quickly looks around the room to make sure there are no unwanted ears: “that Lady Yolanda Grondezh married this young man about two months ago.”

“What?!” Alexander could only breathe out. He turns to his sister, expecting her to refute the statement, or at least to offer some explanation.

But Yolanda just lowers her head, blushing even more than before.

Estley looks expectantly at Ricardo.

“I should have told you this much earlier,” the latter admits grimly. “But the time was never right.”

“Well, since you didn't do it in due time, tell me now,” orders Lord Cameron.

“Actually, this is quite unnecessary,” states the butler, raising his shackled hands. “Even though I understand that these are the methods you use in your department.”

“I will gladly listen to your criticism of my department later,” with an undisguised sneer Estley promises. “But right now we have a more pressing issue to discuss.“

Again, Ricardo does not object. Just casts a sympathetic look at Yolanda. She still sits with her head bowed. He sighs and shakes his head, then begins to speak.

“Yolanda and I became acquainted when I was passing through the area. For the first time we met in the temple. After the service, we started talking. I walked her to her house. Then we met a few more times at the fair, the temple — places Yolanda had an excuse to frequent. Her father, to put it mildly, was overzealous in his quest to protect his daughter from lascivious and unworthy men. He strongly believed they were all alike.”

I notice that Alexander nods mechanically at this moment. So he was aware of the Baron's strangeness, and realized what his sister had to deal with.

“Several meetings were enough for me to realize that this was the woman I wanted to marry,” Ricardo continues. He leans back in his chair and looks very relaxed right now, as if he does not even notice the shackles on his hands. “Knowing the Baron's nature, I decided to do everything by the book. So my father personally came to the house and asked the Baron for Yolanda's hand in marriage on my behalf.”

“So what did the Baron do?” I lean forward, however, already having guessed the answer.

“He refused, based on completely ridiculous excuses.” Ricardo frowns. “He said that he found my moral character unacceptable, as well as the moral character of my father, and, I think, had it been to his advantage he would have questioned the morals of my dog as well. My father left empty-handed; moreover, he was furious and told me that he wouldn't want such a relative if you paid him. However, he also calmed down fairly quickly, which could not be said of the Baron. I was not going to give up, though. Sooner or later someone had to take the baron down a peg or two, and I decided that it would be me.”

Alexander frowns at the last words, but Ricardo either does not notice or simply does not find it necessary to apologize.

“I moved closer to the house and waited for an opportunity. Some time later I was told that at the mansion they were looking for a new butler. The idea just came to me. No, I did realize how absurd it was,” For the first time some semblance of guilt flashes in his eyes. “Still, I decided not to dwell on this. Just came here and got the job. Obtaining fake recommendation letters was not difficult. Yolanda did not know about any of this,” he quickly adds, glancing first at his wife and then at Alexander. “I think she almost fainted when the Baron introduced me as the new butler.”

“That's for sure.” Yolanda smiles weakly. “At first I could not even understand what was happening: it all felt like a ridiculous dream.”

“Then I was able to persuade Yolanda that it would be best if we were secretly married.” Ricardo chuckles again and continues the story. “I explained to her that her father would never give us his blessing under any circumstances. While if we got married and confronted him with the fact that it was already a done deal? Sooner or later he would have to accept it.”

“Lady Yolanda agreed, and you became married,” Estley states.

“Yes,” confirms Ricardo. “Actually, I was planning to reveal my identity immediately afterwards. I wasn't going to play a servant for long. But first Yolanda was afraid to tell her father the truth, and then the Baron died. Yolanda was very upset. For her, it wasn't even an option to admit that she had married against her father's wishes. She thought it would be disrespectful to his memory. We decided to wait until the end of the mourning period. The truth is, by that time I had become pretty tired of pretending to be a butler. I could, of course, just leave the house without revealing our secret, and wait until Yolanda was ready to move in with me. But she was very nervous, and I did not want to leave her here alone. Especially after the whole thing with the ghost started. That's why the deception went on for so long.”

Ricardo stares at Alexander, whom he still apparently feels he had wronged. Then he turns his attention to Estley.

“Well,” he says. “Maybe now you'll finally take off these toys?”

He rattles the chain connecting the shackles.

Estley does not even move.

“I see no reason for that.” He says quietly. “While your story sounds a bit different than I expected, the basic facts remain the same. Someone tried to kill Lady Yolanda at least twice. This happened soon after you married her and became her main heir. From this I conclude that you are the one to benefit from her death.”

Yolanda puts her hand to her throat in fear. I do not think she believed her husband really betrayed her; rather, she was probably shocked by the statement that it was not the ghost's antics, but a real assassination attempt. Ricardo obviously thinks the same.

“So you think that someone is deliberately trying to kill Yolanda?” he asks grimly.

“Your understanding is quite correct,” Estley confirms. “You only missed one small detail. I think that someone is you.”

Ricardo raises his eyes and gives him a heavy, thoughtful look. For a while he keeps silent, and then nods slowly.

“In this case, I see where you're coming from.” Now he looks at the shackles in a new light. “But you're wrong, and I think it will not be difficult to dispel your doubts.”

“Please, give it a shot.”

“You think I want to kill Yolanda in order to get to her inheritance — the mansion, the surrounding land and title. Is that right? “

“It is.”

Ricardo smiles, though it is not very appropriate considering the circumstances.

“I guess you do not know my name,” he says.

“Here,” Estley points at the document, “It says 'Ricardo Ortalier'. If the name was fake the validity of the marriage, too, could be challenged. Which clearly would not be in your best interest.”

“It is not fake,” Ricardo nods. “But for the wedding I used my mother's surname. If I were to use the name of my father it is unlikely we would have been able to maintain secrecy. Remove my shackles or roll up my left sleeve.”

Estley's eyes narrow. After giving it a little thought, he nods to his guy, who turns the key in the lock and takes the steel shackles off Ricardo. At the same time, the servant and the Count himself hold their swords at the ready quite pointedly.

Quickly touching his wrists, Ricardo pulls off his coat and rolls up the left sleeve to the elbow. He reveals a small tattoo on the forearm — the letter "A" with a crown above it. These kinds of distinctive marks adorn the skins of sons of some noble families.

“I assume you are familiar with this symbol?” Ricardo turns to Estley.

Judging by the tone, the question is rhetorical. Looking at the Count, I realize that I am not mistaken.

“The Arwenio family?” Estley raises his eyebrows. “Ricardo ... you are the eldest son of the Marquis of Arwenio?"

“Quite true,” Ricardo smiles wryly. “I would prefer not to boast of my status in front of my wife and her family, but since you have given me no choice but to defend myself... Even if we put aside for a moment the fact that I am the primary heir of the Marquis Arwenio, I already own three mansions similar to this one. One near my father's palace, the second in the Mirror Valley, and a third one abroad. If I needed another couple of estates, I could have bought them easily. So killing the baron and his daughter for the inheritance..." He shakes his head defiantly. "To put it mildly, it would be pointless. I will not needlessly generalize and say that I would never do such a thing: I simply have no motive."

Giving his servant the sign to step back, Estley puts his own sword back in its sheath.

"How did you manage to play the role of a butler so well?" he chuckles, shaking his head in disbelief.

Ricardo laughs.

"I pretty much questioned my own butler about the details of the job," he admits. "The poor man could not understand why on earth I would need it. I already have experience managing people. This household is not large, with a small staff."

Giving the family members time to finish the heart-to-heart discussions on their own, Estley and I go upstairs.

"That is so romantic!" I admire. "I bet that you, Lord Cameron, would never be able to pretend to be a simple servant for the sake of a woman you loved."

"I do not know whether I 'could', but I definitely would not," he says, showing complete indifference to my reproach.

For some strange reason, I like that answer.

"So what now?" I ask a little later. "Since Ricardo is not guilty, we are back to step one, with no actual suspects or theories."

"Not quite," Estley says. "Now the whole house knows about the true purpose of my visit. Or at least they'll figure it out quite soon. It is not an ideal situation, but since it has happened, we should take advantage of it. So now I'll start questioning the servants. I hope that this will significantly speed up the investigation. I have no plans to linger in the house for all eternity. The palace also has accumulated enough cases."

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