Last Nocturne (43 page)

What were her plans? It was a question she must give attention to. If she stayed here in London – in England at all – what sort of life would she have? Ostracised. Gossiped about. The woman in the Martagon case. She had no doubt that the story was still doing the rounds of London society, with embellishments, but it would soon cease to be of interest if she disappeared from the scene. There was no one here she cared enough about to fear a scandal, but her continued presence in London could only be a constant reminder, and not only to herself, but also to the Martagons and all their society friends, of the terrible events which had occurred, however quietly and discreetly she lived. She had in any case no desire to live a hole and corner existence, but she could not go back to Vienna while the spectacle of war loomed ever darker over Europe. She caught her reflection in the looking glass over the mantelpiece, her chin raised as she put a hand up to tuck back a wisp of escaping hair. The gesture reminded her of her mother.

‘Time to move on,
chèrie.’

She smiled. She had been a stranger to herself for so long, and now, thinking of those young people with their future before them, Eliot’s son and daughter, she knew her decision was made. She would take Sophie, they would go to America, where once all her hopes had rested.

Marjorie Eccles was born in Yorkshire and spent much of her childhood there and on the Northumbrian coast. The author of over twenty books, serials, and short stories, she is the recipient of the Agatha Christie Short Story Styles Award. Living on the edge of the Black Country, where she taught creative writing, inspired the acclaimed Gil Mayo series. A keen gardener, she now lives with her husband in Hertfordshire.

ALSO BY MARJORIE ECCLES

A Species of Revenge
Shadows and Lies
The Superintendent’s Daughter
Killing Me Softly
A Sunset Touch
Killing a Unicorn
The Shape of Sand
Untimely Graves

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters,
organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either
products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

A THOMAS DUNNE BOOK FOR MINOTAUR BOOKS.
An imprint of St. Martin’s Publishing Group.

LAST NOCTURNE
. Copyright © 2008 by Marjorie Eccles.
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America.
For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth
Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

www.thomasdunnebooks.com
www.minotaurbooks.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Eccles, Marjorie.
    Last nocturne / Marjorie Eccles. — 1st U.S. ed.
        p. cm.
    “A Thomas Dunne Book.”
    eISBN 978-1-4299-5729-8
    Date of eBook conversion: 07/16/2010
    1. London (England)—History—1800–1950—
Fiction. 2. Great Britain—History—Victoria, 1837–1901—
Fiction. 3. Vienna (Austria)—History—20th century—
Fiction. I. Title.
  PR6055.C33L28 2010
  823'.914—dc22

2009049633

First published in Great Britain by Allison & Busby Limited

First U.S. Edition: Februrary 2010