'I'll see you to your car,' said Romilly affably. Dame Beatrice waited until he and Kirkby were descending the broken steps which led to the drive, and then she made a bee-line for the kitchen, where lunch was being prepared. She was warmly greeted by Amabel.
'Well, Oi declare now, ef et eddn' Dame Beatrice! Anythen us can do, mum? Be ee stayen or goen?'
'Going, I'm afraid. This is only a flying visit. I wonder whether, when you tidied my room, you found my fountain pen? It was a particular favourite of mine, although I have others. I may have dropped it somewhere else, of course, but, as I wanted to visit Mr Romilly and let him know at first hand how Rosamund was getting on, I thought I would ask you whether you had seen it.'
'No, that Oi haven't, mum, and oi'm sure our Voilert haven't, neether, else her'd have told Oi. Can you get on with they veg, Voilert, whoile Oi goes up to help Dame Beatrice have a search round, loike?'
'Ent no pen up there,' said Violet flatly, 'else Oi'd a-found et, wouldn't Oi? But go up and see, for your satesfaction, loike. Eddn nothen to do but they tetties.'
Arrived in the room which Dame Beatrice had occupied, she told Amabel to close the door.
'Now,' she said loudly, 'if you wouldn't mind having an extra good look round. As I say, it's quite likely I did not leave it here, but I wish to be certain. A fountain pen is such a small thing that it could slip down anywhere.'
'Very good, Dame Beatrice, mum,' said Amabel. 'Let's have the bed to bets first.'
Dame Beatrice allowed her to begin stripping the bed and then she stepped across to the shutter which blocked out the squint. As she did so, there was the slight sound of a door being very softly closed. She darted to her own door, opened it and was in time to see the back of Judith as its owner reached the main staircase. She allowed several seconds to go by, then she tip-toed to the door of the adjoining room. There had been no sound of a key, but the door, it seemed, was self-locking and she found that she could not open it. She went back to her room and said:
'Go on with what you are doing. There is something I want to ask you which I do not wish anyone to overhear. Amabel, you are hiding something from me. At least, you think you are. I am going to tell you what it is, so that, if ever the subject comes up, you will be able to say, with truth, that you did not tell me about it.'
'Oh, no, please, now, Dame Beatrice, mum! Oi don't want to get into no trouble!'
'Were you in service when Mr Romilly gave what he called his house-warming party?'
'When he first took over Galliard Hall? Why, yes, mum, me and Voilert and cook, we was all here, haven been bespoke by Messus Judeth to get the house ready for hem and Messus Trelby.'
'Do you remember who came to the party?'
'Why, the same as this toime, 'cepten for yourself, Dame Beatrice, mum.'
'I see. So the Reverend Mr Lestrange was not present?'
'No, mum. I reckon he weren't envoited.'
'Nor his brother, Mr Willoughby?'
'No, mum. It were loike Oi say.'
'Yes, I see. And the Reverend Hubert and Mr Willoughby were not invited this time, either, were they?'
'Oh, Dame Beatrice, mum, how would Oi know a theng loike that, then? Teddn no business of moine who get envoited to the house!' Her voice held a pleading tone.
'Is it Luke's business, then? Luke takes the letters down to the post-box at the gates, doesn't he?'
'That eddn nothen to do with Oi!' But Amabel looked scared.
'Look, Amabel, a man has been murdered.'
'That eddn nothen to do with Oi, neether!'
'It will be, you know, if you withhold information from the police. Luke made a remark, didn't he, before anything dreadful happened? He meant no harm by it, I'm sure. I want you to tell me what it was.'
Amabel had given up stripping the bed. She now sat down upon the mattress.
'Oi don't want nothen to do with the police,' she said sullenly. 'Oi don't know nothen, so I can't say nothen, can Oi?'
'Then I shall ask Violet.'
'Her won't say nothen, neether. Teddn no business of ourn, I tell ee. Best ee leave et alone.'
'And Luke won't admit to me what he said to you both, of course. Luke is Mr Romilly's creature. Did cook hear the remark Luke passed?'
'No, her was haven her afternoon off.'
'So Luke did pass a remark.'
'You're setten traps for me!'
'I'll tell you what Luke said, if you like. You can confirm it, or you can deny it. It will not make the slightest difference because, you see, I
'Well,' said Amabel, 'ef ee knows, ee knows, so what call have ee to bidger-badger me loike thes here? Oi never thought, when Oi just mentioned it casual-loike to Mess Corenna-'
'I won't badger you any more, Amabel. At some time or other-it is immaterial when- Luke overheard Mr Romilly say that he could not understand why the Reverend Hubert and Mr Willoughby had neither turned up nor sent a note of explanation, but Luke remarked to you and Violet that he did not see why they should have done
