The Layton Court Mystery

“am forcing it in this way.’ Mrs Plant’s eyes rested on a bed of roses close at hand. ‘You know that Mr Stanworth was a blackmailer?’ she said. Roger nodded. ‘On a very large scale, indeed.’ ‘Is that so? I did not know it; but it does not surprise me in the least.’ Her voice sank. ‘He found out somehow that before I was married I – I – ’ ‘There’s not the least need to go into that sort of detail, Mrs Plant,’ Roger interposed quickly. ‘All that concerns me is that he was blackmailing you; I don’t want to know why.’ Mrs Plant flashed a grateful look at him. ‘Thank you,’ she said softly. ‘Well, I will just say that it was in connection with an incident which happened before I was married. I have never told my husband about it (it was all past and done with before I ever met him), because I knew that it would break his heart. And we are devotedly in love with each other,’ she added simply. ‘I understand,’ Roger murmured sympathetically. ‘Then that devil found out about it! For he was a devil, Mr Sheringham,’ Mrs Plant said, looking at Roger with wide eyes, in which traces of horror still lingered.””

— Anthony Berkeley