her forehead. She wanted to tell him that he needed to show some humility and preferably some genuine grief if he wanted to get people on his side, but she knew that would only make him angrier.
‘That stupid cow,’ Dudley said, with a savagery that shocked her. ‘I swear she did this on purpose to ruin everything for me. The police have interviewed me twice now and the press are crucifying me and it’s all her fault.’
‘Dudley!’ Lizzie shook her head. ‘I know you’re upset that Amelia’s dead—’
‘I don’t give a shit about Amelia,’ Dudley said with brutal frankness. ‘She was like a fucking leech, living off my money and my name. We were separated. I’d told her I wanted a divorce, so why does everyone expect me to be sorry she’s dead?’ He looked genuinely baffled.
Lizzie took a deep breath. ‘I think you must be very upset to be talking like this, Duds,’ she said carefully. ‘You know you can say anything to me and I’ll never repeat it, but…’ She went over to him and took his hands in hers. ‘Even if you didn’t love Amelia any more it’s still a tragedy that she died so horribly. People will expect you at least to express sincere regret over that—’
Dudley shook off her touch. ‘All I know is I’m losing everything,’ he said. ‘Everything! And you’re just like everyone else – you won’t help me.’ He threw himself back down on the sofa and looked at her with dark, pleading eyes. ‘Please, Lizzie. Help me.’
‘I am trying to help you.’ Lizzie sat down beside him. ‘I’m always here for you if you need to talk, Dudley, but…’ She hesitated. She didn’t want to be too harsh in case she sent Dudley spinning off into another rant. He had always been mercurial but his self-absorption was truly shocking.
‘Sorry.’ Dudley dropped his head into his hands. When he looked up Lizzie saw tears in his eyes. ‘I’m so sorry, Lizzie. I didn’t mean it. I’m not myself. That little shit Johnny Robsart came looking for me last night, making threats, saying all kinds of things. I had to report him to the police. This whole business has been awful for me—’
‘Wait…’ Lizzie raised a hand to stem the flow of words. ‘You reported Amelia’s little brother to the police?’
‘He was off his head,’ Dudley said plaintively. ‘He accused me of wanting her dead, of pushing her down the stairs. I thought he might be dangerous so I called the police.’
‘He’s seventeen years old, Dudley,’ Lizzie said furiously, ‘and his sister’s just died. Couldn’t you have been a bit more sensitive?’
Dudley shrugged. ‘They should lock him into the loony bin,’ he said. ‘Best place for him. He’s such an emo kid, totally out of it. He’s always been like that, ever since I’ve known him, always talking weird stuff and appearing and disappearing like a ghost. I remember once at Oakhangar he and Amelia were playing some trick where he vanished like it was magic. So childish but they thought it was funny. She was as bad as he was.’ He caught Lizzie’s eye and spread his hands wide in a gesture of innocence. ‘What are you looking at me like that for? If they section him, he’ll get help there, won’t he?’
Lizzie shook her head and turned away. She felt so tired; tired of Dudley’s volatility and self-obsession, tired in an odd way that she had stuck by him because she had known all along that he could be shallow but she had hoped he was better than this. She had believed he was. This self-pity had to be a reaction to grief.
‘Dudley,’ she said. ‘Go home. Go to sleep. This isn’t you talking. You need to calm down, give yourself time to grieve—’
‘I’m not sitting at home on my own,’ Dudley said. ‘It’s the pits. Come out with me, Lizzie.’ With the mercurial suddenness of which he was capable Dudley was smiling, exuding charm again. He leaped up to grab her hands and pulled her towards the door. ‘Let’s go to a club, somewhere private, quiet. Hell, I could do with drowning my sorrows.’ He looked hopeful, boyish.
Lizzie hung back. ‘Duds, is that really a good idea? Amelia only died two days ago. Like it or not you’re under police investigation. You can’t—’ She stopped, seeing the frown descend on his brow again. ‘People would find out,’ she said, ‘even if we went somewhere quiet. And if I came with