of buckling them. Then again, she was beginning to realize there were many more differences between the two nations than she'd ever suspected, including the language.
She greeted the two investigators with her usual graceful charm, but unlike the American officers she'd previously encountered, these two looked particularly unimpressed.
"We'd like to talk to your secretary," the taller one said, after introducing himself as Captain Johansen.
"I've sent for her," Elizabeth said, somewhat haughtily. She was determined to keep up appearances, no matter what. "Please take a seat. Can I have Martin take your coats?"
"No, ma'am. If you don't mind. It's a little chilly in here." The captain nodded at his companion. "This is Lieutenant Wiles."
Elizabeth smiled at the other man. He had sandy hair, and clutched his hat as if he were afraid she was going to steal it. His eyes were very blue, and very cold. Not at all like Earl's, which were also steel blue, but unlikethe lieutenant, his were usually as warm and pleasing as the early summer sky.
Lieutenant Wiles failed to return her smile and she walked over to the fireplace, trying to regain her confidence, which wasn't often shaken. She wished Earl could have been there with her to give her support. These men intimidated her for some reason. It wasn't a feeling she was accustomed to, and it unsettled her considerably.
In an effort to keep things on a sociable level, she turned to face them. "May I offer you some hot tea?"
Captain Johansen relaxed his features a fraction. "Coffee would be nice, ma'am, if you have some."
"I'm sure we can manage to find some somewhere." She rang the bell that would summon Martin. Eventually. When a polite tap on the door came almost immediately, she was taken aback for a moment, until instead of her butler, Polly slipped into the room, her face as white as chalk. Her dark eyes looked huge as she shot a frightened glance at the two men, then stared at Elizabeth in mute appeal.
"Come over here, Polly." Elizabeth held out her hand. "Gentlemen, this is Polly Barnett, my assistant. Polly, this is Captain Johansen and Lieutenant Wiles."
"How do you do, sir," Polly said weakly.
Both men touched their foreheads. "Ma'am," they said in unison.
"Sit down, Polly," Elizabeth said firmly. "I'm sure these gentlemen won't take too long."
"We just have a question or two to ask." The captain pulled a notebook from inside his raincoat.
Since both men remained standing, Elizabeth sat down herself before saying pointedly, "I think it would make these proceedings more relaxing if you both took a seat."
"Thank you, ma'am." Captain Johansen sat down on the very edge of a deep, velvet-covered armchair, whilethe lieutenant chose the window seat. Neither man looked very comfortable, which made Elizabeth feel slightly better.
Martin must not have been too far away. Just as the captain began to speak, a tap on the door interrupted him. The butler shuffled into the room, peering over the top of his gold-rimmed glasses. "You rang, madam?"
"Yes, Martin. Would you ask Violet to send up some coffee and biscuits. Perhaps some of that cake she made last night?"
"Yes, madam." Martin turned to leave, just as Captain Johansen asked Polly, "At what time did you see Squadron Leader Cutter on the night Private Morris was murdered?"
Polly swallowed a couple of times, and sent a hunted look in Elizabeth's direction.
"Just tell them the truth," Elizabeth said quietly. "You have nothing to be afraid of, Polly."
"Yes, m'm." Polly looked down at her hands and twisted them together in her lap. "I saw him when we got to the church. He was with the other officers and he told me he'd just got there a few minutes before I did. That was a long time after the bells had stopped ringing. Me mum and me sister and me had to stop and get dressed before we went down there."
"And when was the last time you saw him before that?"
Again Polly hesitated, then said in a small voice, "At the Tudor
She greeted the two investigators with her usual graceful charm, but unlike the American officers she'd previously encountered, these two looked particularly unimpressed.
"We'd like to talk to your secretary," the taller one said, after introducing himself as Captain Johansen.
"I've sent for her," Elizabeth said, somewhat haughtily. She was determined to keep up appearances, no matter what. "Please take a seat. Can I have Martin take your coats?"
"No, ma'am. If you don't mind. It's a little chilly in here." The captain nodded at his companion. "This is Lieutenant Wiles."
Elizabeth smiled at the other man. He had sandy hair, and clutched his hat as if he were afraid she was going to steal it. His eyes were very blue, and very cold. Not at all like Earl's, which were also steel blue, but unlikethe lieutenant, his were usually as warm and pleasing as the early summer sky.
Lieutenant Wiles failed to return her smile and she walked over to the fireplace, trying to regain her confidence, which wasn't often shaken. She wished Earl could have been there with her to give her support. These men intimidated her for some reason. It wasn't a feeling she was accustomed to, and it unsettled her considerably.
In an effort to keep things on a sociable level, she turned to face them. "May I offer you some hot tea?"
Captain Johansen relaxed his features a fraction. "Coffee would be nice, ma'am, if you have some."
"I'm sure we can manage to find some somewhere." She rang the bell that would summon Martin. Eventually. When a polite tap on the door came almost immediately, she was taken aback for a moment, until instead of her butler, Polly slipped into the room, her face as white as chalk. Her dark eyes looked huge as she shot a frightened glance at the two men, then stared at Elizabeth in mute appeal.
"Come over here, Polly." Elizabeth held out her hand. "Gentlemen, this is Polly Barnett, my assistant. Polly, this is Captain Johansen and Lieutenant Wiles."
"How do you do, sir," Polly said weakly.
Both men touched their foreheads. "Ma'am," they said in unison.
"Sit down, Polly," Elizabeth said firmly. "I'm sure these gentlemen won't take too long."
"We just have a question or two to ask." The captain pulled a notebook from inside his raincoat.
Since both men remained standing, Elizabeth sat down herself before saying pointedly, "I think it would make these proceedings more relaxing if you both took a seat."
"Thank you, ma'am." Captain Johansen sat down on the very edge of a deep, velvet-covered armchair, whilethe lieutenant chose the window seat. Neither man looked very comfortable, which made Elizabeth feel slightly better.
Martin must not have been too far away. Just as the captain began to speak, a tap on the door interrupted him. The butler shuffled into the room, peering over the top of his gold-rimmed glasses. "You rang, madam?"
"Yes, Martin. Would you ask Violet to send up some coffee and biscuits. Perhaps some of that cake she made last night?"
"Yes, madam." Martin turned to leave, just as Captain Johansen asked Polly, "At what time did you see Squadron Leader Cutter on the night Private Morris was murdered?"
Polly swallowed a couple of times, and sent a hunted look in Elizabeth's direction.
"Just tell them the truth," Elizabeth said quietly. "You have nothing to be afraid of, Polly."
"Yes, m'm." Polly looked down at her hands and twisted them together in her lap. "I saw him when we got to the church. He was with the other officers and he told me he'd just got there a few minutes before I did. That was a long time after the bells had stopped ringing. Me mum and me sister and me had to stop and get dressed before we went down there."
"And when was the last time you saw him before that?"
Again Polly hesitated, then said in a small voice, "At the Tudor
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