“More slowly, please; every word is of importance.”
“Do you know the relationship between the deceased and Bartley Bradstone? You know that they were married?”
“They were,” said Seth.
“Before or after her marriage with Lord Clydesfold?”
“Before,” replied Seth.
Olivia sank into a seat, and hid her face.
“Come away, my poor darling,” murmured the squire.
But she made a gesture of refusal.
“Then she was his wife?” asked Mr. Sewell.
“No,” said Seth, grimly, “she was neither his nor his lordship’s here. She was mine. We was married years ago, quite boy and girl like. She was a reckless one, was Bella. I allus told her that she’d get into trouble with her desperate ways, but she took no heed of anybody. She’d have married twenty times over, to get money. She was my wife, true and fast enough.”