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say. She disappeared.”
    I felt a prickling down my spine. I felt that I might betray my relationship with the one who had disappeared; and that was something which I was determined not to do. I said quickly: “Disappeared?”
    “Oh yes. It was all very strange. She was there in the morning…and no one saw her after that. She disappeared during the day.”
    “Where did she go?”
    “That’s what a lot of people would like to know. Her name was…what was her name, Sylvia?”
    Sylvia’s spatulate fingers with the bitten nails clenched themselves, betraying her tension, and for a moment I thought she was disturbed because she knew something about Roma’s disappearance; then I realized that she was in awe of her mother, particularly when she asked a question to which she might not be able to find the answer.
    But she had this one. “It was Miss Brandon…Miss Roma Brandon.”
    The woman nodded. “That was it. One of these unwomanly women…” She shivered. “Digging! Climbing about! Most unnatural, I call it. It was very likely a punishment for meddling. Some people say it was due to that. There’s quite a superstition about it. This…whatever it was that happened to her…took place because she had meddled . A sort of curse. I think it ought to be a lesson to these people.”
    “But they’ve all left now?” I asked.
    “Oh yes, yes. They were about to leave when this happened. Of course, when the fuss started it delayed them. It’s my belief she was taking a bathe and was caught by the currents. A most immodest habit, bathing. It’s the easiest thing to get carried out to sea. A sort of judgment. People should be more careful. But the local people will tell you that it was some sort of revenge. One of these Roman gods or someone who didn’t like his house being disturbed saying: Take that for meddling. The vicar and I try to tell them this is nonsense but at the same time it does seem a rough sort of justice.”
    “Did you ever meet this…woman who disappeared?”
    “Meet her. Oh no. We didn’t meet those people, although they were rather friendly with some of them up at the House. Then Sir William is a little odd. Mind you, they are a very great family and of course we are friends. People of our sort do tend to stand together in a small community; and because of the girls we are constantly seeing one another. By the way, I don’t think I asked you your name.”
    “It is Caroline Verlaine. Mrs. Verlaine.”
    I watched her anxiously, wondering whether she would connect me with Roma. Although Essie had assured me that Sir William did not know I was Roma’s sister, there had been a great deal of publicity at the time of her disappearance. Roma was after all Pietro’s sister-in-law; he was famous; and this might have been mentioned. I felt ridiculously dismayed. But I need not have worried. It was clear that my name meant nothing to the vicar’s lady.
    “Yes, I heard you were a widow,” she said. “Frankly I had expected someone much older.”
    “I have been a widow for a year now.”
    “Ah, sad, sad.” She allowed a little pause as an expression of her compassion. “I am Mrs. Rendall…and this is of course Miss Rendall.”
    I bowed my head in acknowledgment of the introduction.
    “I heard that you hold many diplomas and such like.”
    “I have some diplomas.”
    “That must be very nice.”
    I lowered my head to hide my smile.
    “You will find Allegra a handful, I don’t doubt. The vicar says her mind never stays on one subject for more than a few seconds at a time. A mistake to educate her. A servant’s child even though…But it’s disgraceful. Such a complicated household…and none of them related. It’s so odd of Sir William to allow that little Alice Lincroft to share. But she’s such a quiet girl. One can’t really take exception. She is treated like the others…Sylvia is allowed to be their companion.” She shrugged her shoulders. “It’s very difficult, but since Sir