Chapter 24 #2
“Dare say I can give as good an account of myself as anyone.”
“Who knew you were going to the gun-room?”
“No one. Stands to reason, don’t it, if you want a bit of peace and quiet you don’t tell people where you’re going!”
“If your wife was in the hall, she’d have seen you turn down the passage.”
“Nipped along while she was in the cloakroom,” Sir James said in a tone of self-congratulation. “Not a soul saw me.”
And equally, he had seen no one. Alec found it hard to believe that the baronet was capable of making up such a story and presenting it in a credible manner.
“Ah,” said Tom. “Seems a pretty straightforward chap, but remember how Mrs. Fletcher thought he’s under the cat’s paw while all the time it’s him that holds the whip hand. And Mrs. Fletcher isn’t easily fooled.”
“You’re right, in spite of the mixed metaphors.
We’ll have to dig into his financial situation, find out how badly he needed the London house and whatever the estate was paying out to Lady Eva.
Ring the Yard, will you, Tom, and get them going on that.
Strictly speaking it’s not Fraud Squad territory, but see if you can get Fielding.
I’d better go and find Lord and Lady Tiverton and find out if they’re after my blood. ”
Daisy and Lucy went downstairs together and headed straight for Gerald’s room.
The constable on duty refused point-blank to let them go in and could not be budged.
His lordship’s condition was unchanged, he said.
Lucy unhappily believed the statement; Daisy rather doubted but she didn’t dare reassure Lucy after Alec’s absolute prohibition.
“Breakfast,” said Daisy.
“I’m not hungry.”
“Come on, darling. It won’t help Gerald if you fade away.”
“It’s nothing to do with Gerald. I’m just not hungry.”
“Come and keep me company, then. I don’t expect anyone will be there. Alec kept them up very late last night.”
“Did it help?” Lucy listlessly accompanied her breakfastward.
“He’s narrowed it down to five people who had motives to murder Lady Eva and no alibis for tea-time or after dinner.”
“Who?” Lucy demanded.
“Darling, Alec would kill me if I told you. What’s more, he’d never again tell me anything.”
Lucy didn’t argue, and that, more than anything, worried Daisy.
Angela was the only person already at breakfast. “Awfully sorry, Lucy,” she said gruffly. “Wish I’d arrived just a couple of minutes earlier and nabbed the brute, or even stopped him. Any news?”
Lucy shook her head. Going to the sideboard, she poured herself a cup of coffee. Her back to Angela she said, “Daisy says you saved his life.”
Angela flushed. “Oh, it was really Nancy. And that big detective, Sergeant Tring. All I did was stop the bleeding. Anyone could have done it.”
“I couldn’t.” Daisy was filling a plate with scrambled eggs, two sausages, and two triangles of toast. “I’ve never been so glad to see anyone in my life.
” That was somewhat of an exaggeration, considering she hadn’t been at all sure Angela wouldn’t finish Gerald off as soon as she left.
But she had to make up for Lucy’s ungraciousness.
At least Lucy sat down at the same end of the table as Angela, though she just stared into her coffee, stirring it.
“Someone had to go for help,” Angela said. “Daisy was jolly efficient. Lots of people would have just broken down in tears.”
“I waited to do that until after I’d summoned help,” said Daisy, joining them. “Are you going to take Tiddler for a walk this morning, Angela? A stroll down to the lake is just what I need.”
“Yes, right after breakfast.”
“Why don’t you come, Lucy?”
“I can’t. Binkie‘s—Gerald’s—parents are bound to turn up and they’ll want to see me. I can’t think what I’m going to say to them.”
“Darling, would you like me to stay and face them with you?” Daisy offered.
“No, thanks.” Lucy returned to contemplation of her coffee.
Later, walking down the track with Tiddler bouncing around them, daily more self-confident, Daisy said, “I’m sorry Lucy was so unappreciative.”
“Oh, I didn’t mind. Just saying what she did was as much as she
could manage in the way of gratitude at present.
She’s too confused to know how to respond, like a dog that’s been hurt or abandoned and doesn’t quite dare trust anyone.
They’re usually snappish to start with, you know, until they learn what to expect.
” Angela hesitated. “I sort of know how she feels. Daisy, does your husband still suspect Teddy?”
“He couldn’t have …”
“Not of bashing Lord Gerald. But my grandmother …? I’m awfully afraid Mother might have poisoned Uncle Aubrey to protect Teddy, except that I can’t see how he could possibly have known anything about Teddy.
I mean, I don’t know which way his bedroom faces, but I suppose he could have looked out in the night and recognized Teddy.
Only how could Teddy or Mother know about it?
Uncle Aubrey wasn’t really interested in anything but his plants.
He wouldn’t have mentioned seeing Teddy to anyone. ”
“No, it’s quite a puzzle.”
“Besides, by the time he was killed everyone knew Teddy had arrived in the middle of the night. The police did, anyway. And I absolutely can’t imaging Mother hitting Lord Gerald.”
“I shouldn’t think she’d be strong enough to do so much damage,” Daisy said.
“No, but what if … what if Daddy did? I know he doesn’t seem to care much for Mother or Teddy, but for the sake of the family. There have been Devenishes at Saxonfield forever, and Teddy’s the only son and heir. Oh, Daisy, I don’t think I could bear it if all three of them were arrested!”
“That sounds most unlikely,” said Daisy, but she wondered if Alec had considered the possibility.