serving fish.
‘Ah, where was I? Ah, yes, the men are paying for a chance at the Americans and the gels’ parents are paying in the hope that their daughters will make a match.’
‘I would not have thought our host needed the money.’
‘Greedy. That’s what he is.’ Mrs Trumpington filled her mouth with fish.
Harry turned to Miss Maisie Chatterton on his other side. ‘Are you bearing up?’ he asked her.
‘Yeth,’ whispered Maisie. ‘I telephoned Mama and told her to come and get me and she wouldn’t ’cos she thaid that a drama like this would bring out the knight errant in the gentlemen and get me a proposal.’
‘And has it?’
‘No, they’re all after the Americans. ’Snot fair. They’re not Bwitish.’
‘Did you know Miss Gore-Desmond well?’
‘No.’
‘Was she hoping for a husband?’
‘Odd. She said she didn’t need to look. Was already spoken for.’
‘By whom?’
‘Don’t know. You’re as bad as the police. All these questions.’ Maisie giggled and rapped him on the arm with her fan.
Dinner was a shorter affair than usual. The men spent very little time over their port and cigars before joining the ladies in the drawing-room.
Harry found himself drawn to Rose’s side. ‘Captain Cathcart,’ she said coldly, ‘why are you here?’
‘Late guest.’
‘I do not believe it. I believe Hedley wants you to use your grubby skills to get rid of the police. What are you going to do? Blow up the castle?’
‘I hadn’t thought of that. Do you think it murder?’
‘I don’t know. When did you arrive?’
‘This afternoon. I have a splendid new motor car, a Lanchester.’
‘Nasty, smelly things. It’s a fad. It’ll never catch on.’
‘Lady Rose, the horse is a thing of the past. Some of the cabs in London are already motorized.’
‘Of almost twenty-five thousand vehicles which passed along Piccadilly in one day of this year,’ said Rose, ‘less than four hundred were motor cars. Now what does that tell you?’
‘It tells me that you have a fantastic memory for facts, and that memory of yours has led you to believe your intelligence superior. I think you are showing off I think that desire to show off has blinded you to the obvious fact that the motor vehicle is here to stay.’
Rose walked away from him, her face flaming. Margaret came to join her. ‘The handsome captain appears to have insulted you.’
‘He’s insufferable,’ hissed Rose.
‘What did he say?
‘He insists the motor car is here to stay.’
‘He’s quite right. Was that all?’
Rose suddenly felt she had made a fool of herself ‘Oh, he said other things. How are you?’
‘Worried. I cannot find Colette. I had to dress myself for dinner. Do you think your maid might know where she is?’
‘I’ll find out,’ said Rose. She summoned a footman and told him to fetch Daisy.
She waited until Daisy entered the drawing-room and she and Margaret went up to her.
‘Colette is missing,’ said Margaret. ‘Do you know where she is?’
‘Colette didn’t appear for dinner in the housekeeper’s room,’ said Daisy. ‘So the housekeeper sent one of the maids to her room but she wasn’t there.’
‘Does she have a room off yours?’ Rose asked Margaret.
‘No, you were favoured.’
‘I know where it is,’ said Daisy.
‘Would you please go there and find out if her belongings are still there?’
Daisy bobbed a curtsy and left the room.
‘Has she ever disappeared before?’ Rose asked Margaret.
‘Never.’
They waited impatiently until Daisy reappeared. ‘Her clothes are gone and her suitcase,’ she said. ‘Why would she go like that?’
Margaret sighed. ‘I’ll need to engage another. May I share Daisy with you?’
Daisy and Rose exchanged startled looks. Daisy had learned a great deal quickly but was far from being a perfect lady’s maid, but Rose did not know how she could possibly refuse her new friend.
‘Of course,’ she said. ‘You may go, Daisy.’
Daisy
‘Ah, where was I? Ah, yes, the men are paying for a chance at the Americans and the gels’ parents are paying in the hope that their daughters will make a match.’
‘I would not have thought our host needed the money.’
‘Greedy. That’s what he is.’ Mrs Trumpington filled her mouth with fish.
Harry turned to Miss Maisie Chatterton on his other side. ‘Are you bearing up?’ he asked her.
‘Yeth,’ whispered Maisie. ‘I telephoned Mama and told her to come and get me and she wouldn’t ’cos she thaid that a drama like this would bring out the knight errant in the gentlemen and get me a proposal.’
‘And has it?’
‘No, they’re all after the Americans. ’Snot fair. They’re not Bwitish.’
‘Did you know Miss Gore-Desmond well?’
‘No.’
‘Was she hoping for a husband?’
‘Odd. She said she didn’t need to look. Was already spoken for.’
‘By whom?’
‘Don’t know. You’re as bad as the police. All these questions.’ Maisie giggled and rapped him on the arm with her fan.
Dinner was a shorter affair than usual. The men spent very little time over their port and cigars before joining the ladies in the drawing-room.
Harry found himself drawn to Rose’s side. ‘Captain Cathcart,’ she said coldly, ‘why are you here?’
‘Late guest.’
‘I do not believe it. I believe Hedley wants you to use your grubby skills to get rid of the police. What are you going to do? Blow up the castle?’
‘I hadn’t thought of that. Do you think it murder?’
‘I don’t know. When did you arrive?’
‘This afternoon. I have a splendid new motor car, a Lanchester.’
‘Nasty, smelly things. It’s a fad. It’ll never catch on.’
‘Lady Rose, the horse is a thing of the past. Some of the cabs in London are already motorized.’
‘Of almost twenty-five thousand vehicles which passed along Piccadilly in one day of this year,’ said Rose, ‘less than four hundred were motor cars. Now what does that tell you?’
‘It tells me that you have a fantastic memory for facts, and that memory of yours has led you to believe your intelligence superior. I think you are showing off I think that desire to show off has blinded you to the obvious fact that the motor vehicle is here to stay.’
Rose walked away from him, her face flaming. Margaret came to join her. ‘The handsome captain appears to have insulted you.’
‘He’s insufferable,’ hissed Rose.
‘What did he say?
‘He insists the motor car is here to stay.’
‘He’s quite right. Was that all?’
Rose suddenly felt she had made a fool of herself ‘Oh, he said other things. How are you?’
‘Worried. I cannot find Colette. I had to dress myself for dinner. Do you think your maid might know where she is?’
‘I’ll find out,’ said Rose. She summoned a footman and told him to fetch Daisy.
She waited until Daisy entered the drawing-room and she and Margaret went up to her.
‘Colette is missing,’ said Margaret. ‘Do you know where she is?’
‘Colette didn’t appear for dinner in the housekeeper’s room,’ said Daisy. ‘So the housekeeper sent one of the maids to her room but she wasn’t there.’
‘Does she have a room off yours?’ Rose asked Margaret.
‘No, you were favoured.’
‘I know where it is,’ said Daisy.
‘Would you please go there and find out if her belongings are still there?’
Daisy bobbed a curtsy and left the room.
‘Has she ever disappeared before?’ Rose asked Margaret.
‘Never.’
They waited impatiently until Daisy reappeared. ‘Her clothes are gone and her suitcase,’ she said. ‘Why would she go like that?’
Margaret sighed. ‘I’ll need to engage another. May I share Daisy with you?’
Daisy and Rose exchanged startled looks. Daisy had learned a great deal quickly but was far from being a perfect lady’s maid, but Rose did not know how she could possibly refuse her new friend.
‘Of course,’ she said. ‘You may go, Daisy.’
Daisy
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