Chapter 26 #2
Piper’s face was scarlet, his gaze glued to his notebook. As far as he was concerned, discussing a lady’s stockings with her was far less decent than throwing a fit at the murder of one’s husband’s great-aunt.
“So Sally is in a state,” said Alec. “So much so that Lord Haverhill sends for Rupert. In spite of which she goes ahead and poisons her father-in-law?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if she was afraid he’d be frightfully angry if he arrived and found she hadn’t done it. Bang goes his alibi, or they have to postpone the real murder until he goes back to the Army, risking Lord Haverhill dying in the meantime.”
“Possible,” Alec conceded, more grudgingly than Daisy considered quite decent.
“He must have been frightfully angry anyway, when he arrived and found out she’d botched it. And then she tells him she’s afraid Gerald saw her … .”
“If he did see her, it’ll be a big help. Which reminds me,” said Alec, standing up, “I’d better go ask him before he falls asleep again.”
“Darling, I’m coming too.”
“No, you’re not. What if someone saw you going in?”
“No one will. They’re all at tea and I bet you everyone is there, giving themselves an alibi in case someone else is poisoned, if you see what I mean. If there’s anyone in the hall, I’ll pretend I was on my way to the cloakroom. Let me see him, darling. I have to tell him Lucy’s worried sick.”
Alec gave in. “Tom, Ernie, go over the notes again. See if there’s anything to confirm or contradict Daisy’s fantasy.”
“Fantasy, ho!” said Ernie not quite sotto voce.
Tom winked at her as she rose to follow Alec.
They found Gerald not only awake but sitting up. He was drinking lemonade.
“Dying of thirst, poor lamb,” said the nurse with proprietory pride. “Making up for loss of blood, you see.”
“No one was to know he’s awake!” Alec exclaimed in annoyance.
“I asked for it for myself,” the nurse explained placidly.
Gerald set down his empty glass on the bedside table, beside a nearly empty pitcher. “That’s better! Daisy, how’s Lucy?”
“Desperately worried. Alec won’t let me tell her you’re recovering. Are you really well enough to sit up?”
“Nothing wrong with me bar a bit of a headache. To tell the truth, I feel just as if I went on a bit of a bender last night. I promised the doctor I wouldn’t get up till tomorrow, though.
Fletcher, can’t Lucy be told I’m all right?
She’s not going to spread it around, any more than my parents will. ”
“Have you talked to them?”
“No, but Miss Robbins here told me they came when I was sleeping.”
“The fewer who know, the safer you are.”
“You still don’t know who it was? Who killed Lady Eva and Lucy’s uncle and hit me?”
“No. I take it you don’t remember seeing whoever hit you, nor whoever poisoned Lord Fotheringay’s tea?”
“Not a thing. I don’t think it’s that I don’t remember, I just didn’t see.”
“I’ve been thinking, darling.” Daisy ignored Alec’s groan. “Surely the oleander must have been put in the teapot soon enough to give it time to steep. Gerald only just got there when he drank it, so he couldn’t possibly see who did it.”
“Then why the deuce did he hit me?” Gerald demanded.
“We didn’t tell anyone exactly when you arrived,” Alec said.
“For all the murderer knew you could have arrived in time to see her—or him—leave the conservatory and then waited around for your appointment with Lucy until he drank the tea. You see the importance of not revealing more information than absolutely necessary.”
“Except,” Daisy pointed out, “in that case it led to Gerald being hit on the head.”
Alec turned his most fearsome frown on her, but before he could speak, Gerald said, “Listen. I have an idea.”
Alec turned the frown on him. Daisy could read his mind: Wasn’t it bad enough her coming up with ideas without someone else starting?
Needless to say, Gerald was uncowed. “You’re afraid the murderer will have another go at me. Why not let him?”
Daisy burst into the drawing room in a manner her mother would have stigmatized as thoroughly unladylike. “Lucy? Oh, there you are, darling. Alec says Gerald’s not going to die after all!”
Already pale, Lucy turned white. Fortunately she was seated, with
her parents and Tim and Nancy. Daisy forced herself not to glance at Rupert or Sally, keen though she was to see how the news affected them.
Nancy beamed. “He’s going to be all right?”
“Well,” Daisy temporized, a little more loudly than was strictly necessary as she had by now crossed the room to the group, “the doctor came to see him. He’s still unconscious but Dr. Philpotts is pretty sure he’ll come round within the next twenty-four hours.”
Giving her a surprised look, Nancy opened her mouth.
Daisy sent her a desperate if silent appeal and hurried on, “He’ll have a frightful headache and he may not remember what happened, but there’s a chance he will be able to say who attacked him.
Then everything will be cleared up and we can all go home. ”
“Daisy, dear, do the Tivertons know?” Lucy’s mother asked anxiously.
“I think Alec was going to tell them, Aunt Vickie. But I expect they’d be happy to see you.”
“Yes, of course. Come along, Lucy.”
“Not me,” Lucy said grimly. “You forget, Mother, I’m not going to marry him.”
Several people gathered around. Daisy managed to slip away. Lucy joined her before she reached the door.
“Did you have to tell me in front of everyone?” she demanded irritably as they went out into the hall. “Of course I’m glad he’s going to be all right, but it’s really nothing to do with me now.”
“No, I’m sorry,” Daisy said in her most soothing tone. “I was so pleased I just didn’t think. Isn’t it wonderful news?”
Lucy’s mouth trembled. “Yes. Yes, of course it is. I’m so glad for his parents.” She turned away towards the stairs and Daisy let her go.
Nancy caught up with her. “Daisy, the doctor—”
“Sshh!” Daisy drew her farther from the drawing-room door, into the middle of the hall where no one could possibly listen without being seen.
“The doctor couldn’t possibly be certain Lord Gerald will recover consciousness, let alone within a given period. You must have misunderstood, and it’s a great pity you told Lucy.”
“Oh, blast! I shouldn’t have told her with a trained nurse sitting beside her! Alec will be furious. I think you’d better come to the library and talk to him.”
Alec managed to obfuscate the issue so that Nancy went away confused but reluctantly willing not to contradict Daisy’s story.
When Alec returned to the desk from escorting Nancy to the door, Tom said, “I don’t want to be a wet blanket, Chief, but all this isn’t what you might call according to Hoyle.”
“Nothing ever is once Daisy gets involved.”
“Darling, that’s unfair! It’s entirely Gerald’s idea.”
“Yes, and that’s our excuse: the police surgeon himself told us not to agitate the patient, so we dared not contradict him. All the same, Piper, make a note of Tom’s objection, please. If anything goes wrong, it’s my responsibility. You two are following orders.”
“Nothing’s going to go wrong, Chief,” said Ernie, “not with Mrs. Fletcher involved.”
“Ah, but this is where she ceases to be involved. Daisy—”
“Wait, I’ve got an idea. Stebbins!”
“Stebbins?”
“If you have a bright young officer on duty, like the chap who’s been guarding Gerald’s room all day, it’s going to look a bit fishy if he drowses off. If it’s Constable Stebbins with his creaky feet, no one will wonder at it if he snores his head off.”
“You’ve got a point there, Mrs. Fletcher,” said Tom.
“Yes.” Alec sighed. “Ernie, ring them up and say we want Stebbins for night duty.”
“They’re not going to believe it, Chief!” Ernie reached for the telephone.
“Fortunately, it doesn’t matter what they believe.”
“Stebbins is perfectly all right,” Daisy said indignantly, “as long as
you don’t make him walk too much. This is the perfect job for him and I bet he doesn’t really fall asleep. He’ll be there to help if you need him. And I might have another bright idea, Alec, so you’d better let me stay.”
“For the planning, all right,” Alec conceded, “but you are to be tucked up cosily in bed when the lights go out.”