Crooked House

Josephine continues to recover. One morning Charles is out in the garden with Brenda and Sophia, who argue over Sophia’s firing of Laurence. Presently, Taverner arrives with a warrant for Brenda’s arrest. She protests her innocence and collapses into tears when she learns that Laurence has also been arrested for murder. Sophia is extremely upset by the experience. Charles tries to comfort her by stating that they can now get married, but Sophia quietly states that she was the only family member with a financial motive to kill Aristide. She confesses that she knew all along about the alteration of the will but kept the information secret because she did not want to become a suspect in the investigation. Charles remembers her insistence that he should discover the truth of the matter and her statement that she could kill someone if the outcome were truly worthwhile.

Shortly after Brenda’s arrest, Roger and Clemency approach the group to announce that they will carry out their plan and leave England. Clemency expresses a fervent desire to get away from the Leonides family and finally have Roger to herself. Charles realizes that Clemency’s “[l]ove for Roger […] [makes] up her entire existence” (170).