-I'm sorry, Aldara, but I had no choice. They assumed it was me. They thought Santo and I - "
-And you had to safeguard your reputation?"
-It isn't that. It wasn't that. They need to get to the bottom of what happened to him, and they aren't going to get there if people don't start telling the truth."
-Yes. I do see what you mean. But how often the truth is...well, rather inconvenient. If one person's truth is an unbearable blow to another person and simultaneously unnecessary for him to know, need one speak it?"
-That's hardly the issue here."
-But it does seem that no one is quite telling the police everything there is to tell, wouldn't you say? Certainly, if they came to you at first instead of to me, it would be because little Madlyn did not tell them everything."
-Perhaps she was too humiliated, Aldara. Finding her boyfriend in bed with her employer...That might have been more than she wanted to say."
-I suppose." Aldara handed over a pillow and its accompanying case for Daidre to sort out while she herself did the same with another. -It's of no account now, though. They know it all. I myself told them about Max. Well, I had to, hadn't I? They were going to uncover his name eventually.
My relationship with Max was not a secret. So I can hardly be cross with you, can I, when I also named someone to the police?"
-Did Max know...?" Daidre saw from Aldara's expression that he did. -Madlyn?" she asked.
-Santo," Aldara said. -Stupid boy. He was wonderful in bed. Such energy he had. Between his legs, heaven. But between his ears..." Aldara gave an elaborate shrug. -Some men - no matter their age - do not operate with the sense God gave them." She placed the pillow on the bed, and straightened the edge of its case, which was lace. She took the other from Daidre and did the same, going on to turn down the rest of the linen in a welcoming fashion. On the bedside table, a votive candle was nestled in a crystal holder. She lit this and stood back to admire the effect.
-Lovely," she said. -Rather welcoming, wouldn't you say?"
Daidre felt as if cotton were stuffed into her head. The situation was so much not what she believed it should be. She said, -You don't actually regret his death, do you? D'you know how that makes you look?"
-Don't be foolish. Of course, I regret it. I would not have had Santo Kerne die as he did. But as I wasn't the one to kill him - "
-You're very likely the reason he died, for God's sake."
-I very seriously doubt that. Certainly Max has too much pride to kill an adolescent rival and anyway Santo wasn't his rival, a simple fact that I could not make Max see. Santo was just...Santo."
-A boytoy."
-A boy, yes. A toy, rather. But that makes it sound cold and calculating and believe me it was neither. We enjoyed each other and that's what it was between us, only. Enjoyment. Excitement.
On both parts, not just on mine. Oh, you know all this, Daidre. You cannot plead ignorance. And you quite understand. You would not have lent your cottage had you not."
-You feel no guilt."
Aldara waved her hand towards the door, to indicate they were to leave the room and go below once more. As they descended the stairs, she said, -Guilt implies I am somehow involved in this situation, which I am not. We were lovers, full stop. We were bodies meeting in a bed for a few hours. That's what it was, and if you really think that the mere act of intercourse led to - "
A knock came on the door. Aldara glanced at her watch. Then she looked at Daidre. Her expression was resigned, which told Daidre later that she should have anticipated what would come next. But, rather stupidly, she had not.
Aldara opened the door. A man stepped into the room. His eyes only for Aldara, he didn't see Daidre. He kissed Aldara with the familiarity of a lover: a greeting kiss that became a coaxing kiss, which Aldara did nothing to terminate prematurely. When it did end, she said against his mouth, -You smell all of the sea."
-I've been for a surf." Then he saw Daidre. His hands dropped from Aldara's shoulders to his sides.