“By my father’s will, under which he was also made executor of the estate.”
“You were lovers before you went to Europe?”
“Yes. Mr. Lonsdale and I have been lovers since I was fifteen years old.”
“Is there any way in which Mr. Lonsdale could benefit by deceiving you about your father’s fate?”
“None that I can imagine.”
“He is anxious to make you his wife?”
“Oh, yes. He wanted to marry me before I went to Europe.”
“Ah! You refused?”
“Yes. I told him I would not marry while my father was lying in that half-dead state. After papa died, he wanted to come to Europe and marry me, but I was determined to finish my studies first.”
“You ought to easily prove your father’s death without Mr. Lonsdale’s testimony, Miss Templin.”