“Aye,” Alys said shortly.

“This is your first thought?” Livia asked him with an edge to her voice. “Your first question is—if his mother knows?”

He did not even hear her. “And… Sarah? Miss Stoney? You’re here too?”

“We came straight from the ship,” Sarah said. “We’ve just landed at Reekie Wharf. I went to Venice to find him.”

“I thought you were staying with friends?”

“I thought so too,” Livia agreed with her husband. “That’s what they said. That’s what they all said.” She looked over the top of her flowers at Alys. “That’s what you said, Alys. Did you lie to me?”

“Aye,” Alys repeated, her mouth closed in a hard line.

“My grandma sent me to Venice. She never believed her—” Sarah’s contemptuous tip of her head indicated Livia, standing with her nose in her posy of primroses.

“But the marriage?” the minister interrupted. “We have performed a marriage here. A solemn… Are you saying this lady is precontracted?” He turned to Livia. “Nobildonna, you should have told me… is this true? You made a solemn declaration on oath, you gave your word before God that you were free to marry. You have taken instruction for weeks and you never—”

“She’s my wife,” Rob interrupted. He glanced back at Matteo who was sleeping in Carlotta’s arms. “And that’s my son. He carries my name. This gentleman”—he gestured at Felipe—“was her steward. He knows her as my wife. He witnessed our wedding in Venice, he witnessed my arrest and her running away from Venice. She’s been living with my family as my widow. She lied to them. She told my mother that I was dead.”

“This is very serious,” the minister began.

“I thank God that you are alive,” Livia said with quiet dignity to Rob. She did not rush to embrace him, but nor did she step towards Sir James. She stood alone, poised, looking from one man to another, as if she were deciding what to do. But she never so much as glanced towards Felipe, as if she counted on him to stay silent, while a new fraud was forged.

“You truly thought he was dead?” the minister asked Livia.

She tossed her head as if he were interrupting her thoughts. “Well, of course I did. I was told he was dead,” she exclaimed. “I was told that he was drowned. Why should I question it when he went out every night on the dark tides? I went into mourning for him, I left my country in the deepest grief, I came to England and I broke the terrible news to his family and tried to comfort them.” She shot a dark gaze at Alys. “My sister-in-law will confirm that I tried to comfort her, that we shared our sorrow. We wept in each other’s arms.”

Alys, with a face like stone, said nothing.

“Then you are guilty only of a genuine mistake,” Mr. Rogers assured her. “If it was a genuine mistake?”

“What else could it be? I was told without doubt that he had drowned. Praise God that he is alive.” Her eyes flicked once to Felipe. “I was told that he was drowned. Everyone in Venice said it. No one would contradict me.”

Felipe did not contradict her, though Sarah glanced at him, expecting him to speak. His gaze was fixed on Livia’s beautiful face and the primroses that trembled beside her cheek.

“She denounced me to the authorities,” Rob said flatly. “I was arrested, not drowned. This is her lover and confederate.” He gestured to Felipe. “It was he who arrested me. I was accused of murder and I was imprisoned for life.”

There was an aghast silence. Sir George let out a low whistle. Livia bent her head over her flowers to inhale their perfume.

Rob nodded. “This is her partner—in business and in crime: Felipe Russo.”

“The ancient steward and friend of the family,” Sarah supplemented spitefully, one eye on Livia.

Livia flicked her eyes towards Sarah and took in her new confidence. “A mistake,” she said to the primroses as if to prompt Felipe to speak. “Rob, you are mistaken, perhaps your imprisonment has driven you mad, your word cannot be trusted. Perhaps you have a fever now. Clearly, this is not my steward, not my old steward, this is the son of my old steward, I don’t know him well; but I am sure he will confirm what I have said.” She turned to him, her eyes narrowed, and she held his gaze, a small smile playing on her lips. “He will support me, he will confirm my story. Won’t you, Felipe? Won’t you?”

They all waited for his answer, Sarah watching his face. Felipe Russo bowed to Lady Eliot and to the gentlemen. “Alas, the Nobildonna defrauded me,” he said simply. “She was betrothed to me and we were partners. Together, we stole antiquities from her first husband, and we copied them and sold the forgeries. She married Roberto to hide our crime and when he caught us, she denounced him.”

Sir George cleared his throat and leaned a little towards James, as if he wished to shoulder him out of the church and away from these people. “Perhaps we could go now?” he suggested quietly. “Report all this later?”

But James stood still and silent, his gaze on Livia’s beautiful impassive face and the trembling primroses that she held to her cheek.

The minister shook his head, as if he could not begin to understand. “These are very grave claims, very serious accusations,” he said. “They should be made before a magistrate.”

“I’m a magistrate,” Sir George volunteered promptly.

“Someone unconnected with any of the parties,” the minister ruled.

“I can get one,” Sir George offered. But the minister had already turned to Livia. “Your ladyship, these are most serious accusations that are being made against you. You should have someone to defend you…”

“It is all untrue,” she said coolly. “But by all means let us go to a magistrate so that I may clear my name.”

“You should have an advisor, someone to speak for you! You cannot face this alone.”

“I have someone,” she said calmly. “My husband will speak for me.” Livia put her hand in James’s arm and rested her head, crowned with the enchanting blue hat, against his shoulder. “Sir James is all my family now. My good name is his. I am Lady Avery of Northside Manor—who is going to speak against me?”

“But… but…” The minister was lost for words as Lady Eliot and Sir George exchanged looks of mutual horror.

Sarah watched Felipe smile at Livia, as if he were watching an exceptionally skillful player at a game of chess.

“I?” James said flatly. “I am to speak for you?”

“Obviously not.” Lady Eliot came out of the Avery pew. “You gentlemen must find a magistrate at once, and he must question this woman. If needs be, we will find her a lawyer to speak for her. Though I think she is very able to defend herself. But not in Avery House.”

“In my home if I wish it,” Livia defied her. “In Northside Manor if I wish it! Lady Eliot, you will have to learn that these are my homes now, and I shall go to them whenever I like.”

“Better come to the warehouse,” Sarah said.

Lady Eliot gasped. “South of the river?”

Sarah glanced at her mother for permission. Dully, Alys nodded.