recall pressing it lightly with my thumb in the hopes of securing it. Then I sent young Henry to Lord Wychbold with one, and William to Lord Hasbury. As far as I am aware, neither can read or write yet, though Mr Jem is teaching them their letters – he spends an hour with them every time he dines with you.’
‘You will ask them, if you please, to whom they handed their missives, and report back to me. Thank you, Burns.Pray, before you leave the room, may I remind you that you and any other of the cricketers amongst your colleagues have our express permission to play any match, provided you tell us beforehand, and make arrangements, if necessary, for others to do their tasks? You, I fear, will never find a substitute here,’ she added with the sweetest of smiles, ‘but that does not mean you should not play. The honour of the team is at stake!’
‘And by all means have the east meadow mown early, so that you may practise there whenever you are at liberty,’ Edmund added with a broad wink. ‘There are several of last season’s games that call for revenge.’
Toone waited until Burns had quitted the room. ‘Fascinating as it may be to discover the whereabouts of our artist friend, albeit one connected with the village of two dead children, I cannot but feel we are searching for a gnat when we should be concentrating on finding a killer. That man was killed horribly, whether or not the contents of his mouth were placed there before or after death. And we should make greater push to discover the identity of both victim and perpetrators. So far we have been genteelly delicate in our enquiries. Now I believe we must make greater exertions, lest, believing themselves safe from the law, the miscreants make an attempt on another victim.’
‘I have spoken to every patient in my practice,’ Hansard declared, ‘both those who have summoned me and those who frankly had no need of a visit. And none of them admits to having any knowledge of a plump middle-aged man, living or dead. Maria, you have that expression on your face that tells me you have an idea of which I may not approve.’
She laughed. ‘Indeed, husband, even I may not approveof this idea. Do you recall how on one occasion, with Dr Toone’s advice, I was able to sketch what the victim might have looked like in life?’
‘Maria, you realise that this man is already interred? You are not asking at this stage for permission to exhume him?’
She looked appalled. ‘Indeed no! But after all this talk of Mr Snowdon’s identity, we forget that he has left his excellent sketches with us. Might I not work from them?’ She looked from one of us to another. ‘Do I deduce that there are some you consider inappropriate for my eyes?’ There was a decided note of challenge in her voice.
Toone spoke first. ‘It is easy enough to select the most appropriate for your task, Mrs Hansard. But I tell you truly that had I known him in life, I would have found it hard to recognise him after the death he endured. But I would willingly, gladly, spend an hour with you in an attempt, even if it would ultimately prove in vain.’
Maria glanced at her husband, who responded with a tiny nod and smile. ‘I shall be at your disposal immediately after breakfast tomorrow.’ Perhaps a little embarrassed, she turned to us. ‘And you, Edmund? And Tobias?’
Hansard spoke first. ‘I have to attend Lord Hasbury’s patient. By now he will surely need a good deal more coloured water. Do we have enough beetroot for me to add my artistic touch? Excellent.’
‘And tomorrow, well before breakfast, I have to be in St Jude’s, for matins. I would be the first to admit that I will probably be the only human in the church, but I will read the service, nonetheless. And I will pray most earnestly for guidance for us all.’
St Jude’s was indeed deserted when I entered, but it was clear that someone had watered the glorious arrangements of flowers and set up the altar for worship.
‘You will ask them, if you please, to whom they handed their missives, and report back to me. Thank you, Burns.Pray, before you leave the room, may I remind you that you and any other of the cricketers amongst your colleagues have our express permission to play any match, provided you tell us beforehand, and make arrangements, if necessary, for others to do their tasks? You, I fear, will never find a substitute here,’ she added with the sweetest of smiles, ‘but that does not mean you should not play. The honour of the team is at stake!’
‘And by all means have the east meadow mown early, so that you may practise there whenever you are at liberty,’ Edmund added with a broad wink. ‘There are several of last season’s games that call for revenge.’
Toone waited until Burns had quitted the room. ‘Fascinating as it may be to discover the whereabouts of our artist friend, albeit one connected with the village of two dead children, I cannot but feel we are searching for a gnat when we should be concentrating on finding a killer. That man was killed horribly, whether or not the contents of his mouth were placed there before or after death. And we should make greater push to discover the identity of both victim and perpetrators. So far we have been genteelly delicate in our enquiries. Now I believe we must make greater exertions, lest, believing themselves safe from the law, the miscreants make an attempt on another victim.’
‘I have spoken to every patient in my practice,’ Hansard declared, ‘both those who have summoned me and those who frankly had no need of a visit. And none of them admits to having any knowledge of a plump middle-aged man, living or dead. Maria, you have that expression on your face that tells me you have an idea of which I may not approve.’
She laughed. ‘Indeed, husband, even I may not approveof this idea. Do you recall how on one occasion, with Dr Toone’s advice, I was able to sketch what the victim might have looked like in life?’
‘Maria, you realise that this man is already interred? You are not asking at this stage for permission to exhume him?’
She looked appalled. ‘Indeed no! But after all this talk of Mr Snowdon’s identity, we forget that he has left his excellent sketches with us. Might I not work from them?’ She looked from one of us to another. ‘Do I deduce that there are some you consider inappropriate for my eyes?’ There was a decided note of challenge in her voice.
Toone spoke first. ‘It is easy enough to select the most appropriate for your task, Mrs Hansard. But I tell you truly that had I known him in life, I would have found it hard to recognise him after the death he endured. But I would willingly, gladly, spend an hour with you in an attempt, even if it would ultimately prove in vain.’
Maria glanced at her husband, who responded with a tiny nod and smile. ‘I shall be at your disposal immediately after breakfast tomorrow.’ Perhaps a little embarrassed, she turned to us. ‘And you, Edmund? And Tobias?’
Hansard spoke first. ‘I have to attend Lord Hasbury’s patient. By now he will surely need a good deal more coloured water. Do we have enough beetroot for me to add my artistic touch? Excellent.’
‘And tomorrow, well before breakfast, I have to be in St Jude’s, for matins. I would be the first to admit that I will probably be the only human in the church, but I will read the service, nonetheless. And I will pray most earnestly for guidance for us all.’
St Jude’s was indeed deserted when I entered, but it was clear that someone had watered the glorious arrangements of flowers and set up the altar for worship.
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