Page 71 of The Hidden Heart

“Your jewelry box?” Richard asked, looking puzzled. “What are you talking about?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I did not get around to telling you about that. We were distracted by something in the hall. That is the reason I decided to keep watch tonight. My jewelry box went missing yesterday.”

“Missing? Why didn’t you tell me about it?”

“I don’t know. I guess it didn’t seem very important. And I could not believe that someone had actually stolen it. It wasn’t valuable. All my jewelry and the box together would have been worth no more than a few pounds. It held mostly sentimental value. I kept thinking that if someone had taken it, they would see how little it was worth and give it back—or that it had been in some mysterious way misplaced and would show up again sooner or later. Then, tonight, one of the maids brought it to me. She had found it in the music room. Nothing was missing except for one little earring, but…” Her voice faltered a little, but she shook it off and plowed ahead. “The box had been smashed to bits.”

“What!”

Jessica shrugged. “It is broken into pieces. The jewelry is all there, but the box is ruined. I cannot imagine why anyone would have done such a thing.” Tears sprang into her eyes, and she dashed them away impatiently. “I’m sorry. You must think me foolish to care so. It isn’t important compared to something like Mrs. Woods’ death. But my father gave it to me, and it is dear to me for that reason.”

“Of course. And it is important. Let me see it.”

“It’s inside.” They had reached the door to Jessica’s room and stopped while they were talking. She reached out and opened the door, closing it behind them for privacy, then leading Cleybourne into the room and over to the dresser.

“Bloody hell!” Cleybourne exclaimed when he saw the ruins of the jewelry case. He strode over to the dresser and picked up one or two of the pieces, looking at them in amazement. He turned to her, frowning. “It has indeed been smashed. Why? Who would—” He broke off, his face clearing. “Of course.”

“Of course…what?” Jessica gave him a startled look. “You know who did this?”

“I have a guess. Your former fiancé.”

“Darius?” Jessica gaped at him. “Why on earth would Darius take my jewelry box and break it?”

“Because it is yours. Because it is precious to you. This is not the work of reason. A thief would take the jewelry from the box and leave it, or take it all to sell. But to smash the box and leave the valuables, too—that indicates a great deal of anger. Anger directed against you personally. He tried to reignite your interest in him, and when you turned him down, it enraged him. Humiliated him. I made it worse by hitting him and warning him away from you. He wants to hurt you, and he knows he cannot without suffering the consequences. But this—it is a secret thing, a way he can hurt you without anyone knowing.”

Jessica looked from him to the box. “I suppose it does make sense, in a way. It’s just…well, I can’t imagine Darius caring that much, even in a bad way. It was all so long ago, and he was the one who broke off the engagement, not I. It is hard for me to believe he has loved me all these years, or that it sprang up in him again when he saw me here. I am sure that he would not like my turning him down, and certainly he would not like to be humiliated in front of you, but…” She shrugged. “This implies such violent emotion. Still, you are right, it does appear to be anger directed at me personally, and no one else here knows me. Well, except you, and I don’t think you are the type to smash jewelry boxes.”

“Why, thank you. I am honored that you trust me so.”

“Which makes Darius the most likely one.”

“The violence of this…it seems so wild and unreasoning. It makes me wonder if whoever did this might not also have killed Mrs. Woods.”

“Darius? Oh, that seems most unlikely.”

“I don’t know. This destruction seems to me to verge almost on madness. Certainly it indicates a violent temper and lack of control. That seems to me the sort of person who very well might murder someone—if she thwarted him, say. If that is the case…if it is Mr. Talbot, then you would be in grave danger.”

“No. It cannot be Darius,” Jessica said firmly. “That is impossible. For one thing, he doesn’t even know Mrs. Woods.”

“How do you know? You haven’t known the man or what he’s been doing for ten years.”

“But there has been no indication that he knew her. Anyway, Darius is not a killer. He is too weak a person to kill anyone. He might bluster or rage or even smash up a jewelry box. But he would not have the courage to kill someone.”

“Don’t assume that because someone is weak they won’t commit murder. Rather, I think murder is the outgrowth of weakness. The killer takes the easy way out of a situation. He kills because he doesn’t have the strength to face up to something that a strong man would. He kills from cowardice, not bravery.”

“Maybe so, but we still have no reason to suppose that it was Darius. There is no evidence. The only person we know she had contact with was Lord Kestwick, not Darius.”

“Why are you defending him?” Cleybourne frowned.

“Why are you so determined that he is the culprit?” Jessica retorted.

“You still care for him,” Richard accused.

Jessica stared, then began to laugh. “I’m sorry,” she said after a moment. “That is just too funny. I don’t care for Darius. Not at all. At first, yes, I was very hurt that he called off our engagement. But looking back, I don’t think that even then it was so much love as it was wounded pride. I was more devastated by my father’s scandal. And his death was much, much worse. Now, when I look at Darius, I wonder why I ever thought I was in love with him. It was much better that he broke it off. I would have been terribly unhappy being married to him. He is too weak. And I, as you have pointed out, am far too pushy and opinionated. We would soon have hated each other.” She paused, then let out a little sigh and added, “I am not, I am afraid, one of such deep feelings.”

“Why would you say that?”

“I got over my wounded heart fairly easily. I did not mourn as you have mourned. I did not love him the way you loved your Caroline.”