“And on what ground did he ask you to do this?”
“He threatened that if I did not he would tell Sir Vernon about me and Mr. Prinsep. He made the most horrible insinuations.”
“You were friendly with Mr. Prinsep?”
“Two years ago John Prinsep asked me to marry him, and I accepted him. Our engagement was kept secret at his request.”
“Miss Lang, I am sorry if I give you pain; but I must ask you whether you were engaged to Mr. Prinsep at the time of his death.”
The answer came clearly, but in a voice totally devoid of expression. “I do not know,” said Charis Lang. “The engagement had at least not been formally broken off.”
“And of course you rejected Walter Brooklyn’s proposal?”
“I did.”
“Did you tell Mr. Prinsep about it?”
“No. It was not a matter I could bring myself to mention to him.”