Dance to Your Daddy

'It's no good, Great-aunt Adela,' said Corinna, looking alarmed. 'You can't get us back to the subject of-to the subject that way. We're not going to say any more. It's my secret, and, although I've told the boys about it, they can't, in decency, give it away unless I agree, and I don't agree, and I'm sorry I said as much as I did. Corin's right, I am a panicky fool.'

'I myself had come to the conclusion that there is a secret,' said Dame Beatrice, 'and I have already set my wits to work. You see, perhaps there are three other wise monkeys in this house besides yourselves.' She leered benignly at Corinna, who said, nervously:

'Maybe there are, and maybe there aren't, but, if there are, I don't believe they'll be much inclined to talk, either. It isn't their business, anyway. I just got in a panic.'

'You were asking how long we'd known Uncle Romilly,' said Corin, under the impression that he was changing the subject. His sister scowled at him, but he went on: 'Not so very long, actually. We've been here once before, that's all, to what he called his house-warming. He'd just rented Galliard Hall and wanted to show it off.'

'And were all his relatives invited?'

'I suppose all the younger ones were, except for Willoughby and Hubert. At any rate they didn't turn up. Mother and father weren't asked, I do know that, because we had rather a toss-up with mother about it, and grandma sent for us and read us the riot act, and said what a scoundrel Uncle Romilly was. I asked whether he was rich, and she said that his gains, whether considerable or not, were bound to be ill-gotten. I said that wouldn't matter, provided he cut us in on them. She wasn't pleased, and Corinna and I were shown the door, and got very sticky letters from grandma later on.'

'Did you know the late Felix Napoleon Lestrange?'

'Never heard of him,' said Corin.

'Oh, I have!' exclaimed Corinna. 'Grandma once let fall a derogatory remark about him when I was about ten and she didn't know I was in the room. I had hidden behind the curtains while they were having dinner, in the hope of sneaking out and securing some of the marrons glaces and crystallised ginger and grapes and things, before the servants came in to clear the table.'

'Greedy little beast!' said Corin. 'I don't remember that you shared anything with me. Marrons glaces, indeed!'

'I didn't get what I was after. Pilbrick spotted the bulge behind the curtain and said, 'Now just you come out of there, Miss Clotilda, and pop straight up to bed, else I'll tell your mamma about you, see if I don't.' Pilbrick was an old beast.'

'Oh, I don't know,' said Corin. 'He lent me five pounds once, when dad had already supplemented my allowance and I dared not go to him for any more. Speak as you find is my motto. Anyway, I'd prefer Pilbrick any day to the Sweeny Todd they've got here.' As he made this statement, he winked conspiratorially at Dame Beatrice. His sister intercepted the wink and confirmed Dame Beatrice's suspicions by shouting:

'You promised! You promised! Don't you dare give me away!'

'Of course I shan't,' said Corin. 'Soit tranquille. Je suis chevalier d'honneur, moi.'

'I've never noticed it. Oh, Lord! I wish that wretched policeman would take himself off. I want to get out of this house! We simply must rehearse that new number, and there isn't a piano in the place except for the one Judith plays, and she won't let us touch that.'

At this moment Kirkby knocked at the door and was invited to come in.

'If you'll give me a list of your theatrical engagements for the next few weeks, sir,' he said, addressing Corin, 'I need not keep you any longer.'

'You mean we can just simply go?' asked Corinna.

'That is what I mean, miss. I see no reason at present to trouble you any further, but I must know where I can find you if I want you. I may say that the same applies to you, Mr Provost. I have your address. You won't change it without letting me know, I hope.'

'Are you leaving the house, then?' asked Giles.

'For the moment, yes, sir, but my enquiries will still be centred on the neighbourhood.'

'Oh, well, of course.'

'I, too, will leave you,' said Dame Beatrice.

'You've nothing to report, I suppose?' asked Kirkby, when he and she were in the hall.

'Ask me again tomorrow. I make no promises, but there is a small matter I wish to investigate. It may lead to nothing, but I have a faint hope that it may be a little bit of help. However, it is not a thing capable of proof, so it can be nothing but a pointer, I fear.'

Hearing their voices, Romilly came into the hall.

'You are off, then, Inspector?' he said. Are we to expect you tomorrow?'

'Not unless anything else turns up, sir. You say you've still no news of Mr Willoughby Lestrange, so there's nothing more I can do until we trace him. You may be wanted when they resume the inquest, sir.'

'Whatever for? I have already identified the body! What more can I do?'

'The poor young gentleman was not in clerical garb, sir. What made you so certain that he was the Reverend Hubert? Did you know him very well?'

'Not to say very well, but well enough to know who he was,' said Romilly. 'Most young clergymen on holiday leave the dog-collar at home nowadays.'

'Oh, yes, sir, that's right, of course. They do.'