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Had Lord Loudwater's belief that William Roper had told him the truth about the kiss been weaker, it might have been shaken by the whole-hearted thoroughness of Grey's attack. But William Roper had impressed that belief on him deeply. He was sure that Grey had kissed Lady Loudwater. The certainty spurred him to a fresh effort, and he cried: "It's no good your trying to humbug me none at all.
She had shown too intimate a knowledge of Lord Loudwater's habits at Loudwater and of the Castle itself, for it was clear from William Roper's story that she had gone straight to the library window and through it, in the evident expectation of finding Lord Loudwater asleep as usual in his smoking-room.
There was plainly more in the matter than Elizabeth Twitcher had supposed, and she wondered, growing more and more uneasy. When she went downstairs with the tray she learned that Dr. Thornhill was examining the wound which had caused the Lord Loudwater's death, and that Mr. Flexen and Inspector Perkins were questioning Wilkins.
They had the same fierce, protruding, red-rimmed blue eyes, the same narrow, low forehead, the same large ears. Hutchings' hair was a darker brown than Lord Loudwater's, and his lips were thinner. But Mr. Manley was sure that, had he worn a beard instead of whiskers, it would have been difficult for many people to be sure which was Lord Loudwater and which his butler.
Till he found her he would not find its solution. It still seemed to him probable that somewhere among Lord Loudwater's papers there was information which would lead to her discovery, and he went into the library to confer again with Mr. Carrington on the matter. He found him discussing the arrangements for tomorrow's funeral with Mrs. Carruthers and Wilkins.
"I should never have thought him a terror," said Mr. Flexen, in a tone of somewhat incredulous surprise. "I had a talk with him this evening about Lord Loudwater's death, and he seemed to me to be a pleasant enough fellow and an excellent soldier. I take it that he's very keen on his career in the Army?" "Not a bit of it. The war is merely a side issue with him," said Mr.
He made no bones about showing them Lord Loudwater's letter of instructions with regard to the twelve thousand pounds. Mr. Carrington and Mr. Flexen read it together. It was quite short, and ran: "GENTLEMEN, "I shall be much obliged by your paying the enclosed cheque from Messrs. Hanbury and Johnson for £12,046 into the account of Mrs. Helena Truslove. "Yours faithfully,
Carruthers. "And how did Lady Loudwater take it?" said Mr. Flexen. "Twitcher said that she denied everything, and did not appear at all upset about it. Of course, she was used to Lord Loudwater's making scenes. He had a most dreadful temper." "M'm," said Mr. Flexen, and he played a tune on the table with his finger-tips, frowning thoughtfully.
Flexen's instinct assured him that Colonel Grey had lied just as Lady Loudwater had lied. "Are you sure that nothing in the nature of a snore came to your ears as you came out? Did you hear any sound from the room? You can see how important it is to fix as near as we possibly can the hour of Lord Loudwater's death," he said earnestly. "No, I heard nothing," said Colonel Grey firmly.
Carrington obstinately. "The murderer of a man he hated like poison? I should think that he'd want to see his way pretty clear. And it isn't clear not by any means. For there's precious little chance of Mrs. Manley's giving Lord Loudwater's threat to halve her allowance as the reason of her visit to him that night. In fact, there's no chance at all. Manley will see to that.
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