Chadwick’s jaw dropped. A stunned silence echoed around the room.
“Oh,Quint!” Sophie said again, in what sounded like sheer frustration.
Which was when the parlor door opened again and the vicar walked in, followed by the expensive investigators from London.
Chapter Nineteen
Constance saw atonce that they had walked into a fraught moment. Everyone in the room was staring at Ogden, who seemed curiously resigned.
Mrs. Chadwick roused herself to welcome them, and everyone else followed suit as though pulled by the puppet strings of civility.
“Forgive the intrusion,” the vicar said. “I suspect we are too late to avert the storm.”
“Mr. Ogden,” Chadwick said furiously, “has just simultaneously confessed to a heinous crime and made my daughter an offer of marriage!”
Constance’s lip twitched, an involuntary gesture caught by Sophie, who stared for instant before a rueful, conspiratorial sort of humor touched her eyes.
“Have I done the wrong thing again?” Ogden asked humbly.
And Sophie choked out a laugh, throwing out her hand to him. He caught it eagerly.
“No!” Mrs. Chadwick exclaimed. “Sophie, you have just heard… You cannot throw yourself away so young on such a-a…”
“A what, Mama?” Sophie said. “A good, clever man who occasionally makes mistakes? Show me anyone who does not.”
“Mistakes!” her mother repeated, flabbergasted.
“Do we take it,” Solomon interrupted, “that Mr. Ogden has just tried to rectify his mistakes by confessing to them?”
“And proposing marriage in the same breath,” Dr. Chadwick said. “Itake it you are aware of what he has done? All of you and Sophie—”
“Oh, Sophie didn’t know,” Ogden said. “I didn’t have the courage to tell her until now. But it had to be done.” He looked from the vicar to Constance and Solomon. “How doyouknow?”
“Constance worked it out,” Solomon said. “Once she realized that children were the motive for all the letters. And you had the best opportunity, being able to wander about at all hours of the night—and being taken each Wednesday to tea with Miss Mortimer.”
Mrs. Chadwick’s eyes widened. “You sent a letter toMiss Mortimer?”
Ogden shifted in his seat. “It seemed a good idea at the time.”
“Well now,” the vicar said, “shall we all sit down and discuss this?”
With the same focus he seemed to bring to his teaching, Ogden followed the conversation about his letters and the subsequent arguments for and against dismissing him for it. He did not contribute, though he seemed puzzled by the vicar’s defense of him, and by Constance and Solomon’s explaining the advantages of forgiveness and silence to Chadwick.
“Sounds fair to me,” Edgar pronounced. “Wealways get two chances at school, and Mr. Ogden owned upbeforehe was found out. Besides, school will be terrible if he has to go. We might getMiss Fernieback.”
“Maybe, but it isn’t up to you,” Dr. Chadwick said, scowling. “It is up to your mother. And the others who received the letters.”
Everyone gazed expectantly at Mrs. Chadwick, who took a deep breath. “I am inclined to forgive him. He meant no malice, and I believe him when he says he would never go down such amisguided road again. But I am not the only one who received a letter. Miss Mortimer…”
“I shall ascertain Miss Mortimer’s wishes in the matter,” Raeburn said smoothly. “But I believe she will think as Mrs. Chadwick does.”
“But she’ll tell Perry,” Sophie said, appalled. “And he willpersecuteQuintin mercilessly!”
“I don’t believe she will. Miss Mortimer and Miss Jenson have ways of keeping their own secrets.”
“And you should know,” Sophie added defiantly, “that there is no way in the world I wouldevermarry Perry Mortimer. Not even if he asked me, which he assuredly will not.”
“You don’t know that, Sophie,” Mrs. Chadwick began. “You are too young.”
