Death at Wentwater Court by Carola Dunn

Author:Carola Dunn
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: 2012-05-02T16:00:00+00:00

9

I’m sorry, sir, I can’t let you leave.” Detective Constable Piper, barring the open front door, sounded nervously determined.

“Bosh, my good fellow, you can’t stop us.” That was Phillip, at his most pompous. Dressed in his drab motoring coat, he slapped his gauntlets impatiently against his hand. Beside him stood Fenella in a blue travelling costume, the dust veil of her hat thrown back, plucking timidly at his sleeve.

As Daisy reached the bottom of the stairs, she called to him. “Phillip! What’s going on?”

He swung round. “This confounded chappie is bally well trying to stop me taking Fenella home. You have a word with him, Daisy. You’re in cahoots with the ruddy coppers.”

“Do be reasonable, Phil. He’s only doing his duty. I heard Chief Inspector Fletcher tell him not to let anyone leave. Will you shut that door, please, Officer? There’s a frightful draught through here, though at least it’s a bit warmer today, thank heaven.”

“Right away, miss!” Piper threw her a look of worshipful gratitude and turned to close the door.

“Mr. Fletcher’s coming back this morning,” Daisy assured the Petries, “and I expect he’ll let you go, but I do think you ought to wait till he arrives.”

“The pater said to take Fenella home,” Phillip said obstinately. “I didn’t catch him on the ’phone till quite late last night, after that nasty mix-up, and he said to bring her home straight away.”

“It’s fearfully early still. Have you had breakfast? Why on earth do you want to leave so early?”

“It’s a deuce of a way.”

“The roads will be perfectly ghastly with this thaw. You’re sure to get bogged down on the way. Haven’t you some relative or other a bit nearer than Worcestershire where Fenella can stay for a few days?”

“There’s Aunt Gertrude and Uncle Ned, Phil. Reading isn’t far, is it? I’d like to stay with Aunt Gertrude, and I’d like more than a cup of tea before we leave. You rushed me so.” Fenella took off her gloves, and Daisy noticed her engagement ring was missing.

“Oh, right-ho,” Phillip grumbled. “I’ll have to ring up Aunt Gertrude and make sure it’s all right. Hang it, Officer, you’d better tell Lord Wentwater’s man we’ll be leaving later and he’s to put the car back in the garage.”

“Yes, sir.” Piper saluted and opened the door just wide enough to slip out, closing it firmly again behind him.

“Come on, Fenella,” said Daisy, “to the breakfast-room. I’m starving.”

Already on his way to the telephone table in the corner of the hall, Phillip turned, frowning. “You’d better order a tray in your bedroom, Fenella.”

Daisy raised her eyebrows quizzically. “I promise I’ll not let her be either murdered or corrupted at the breakfast table, and she can stick to me like a leech till Mr. Fletcher comes. You’ll join us, won’t you, when you’ve finished telephoning?”

“Yes. As a matter of fact, I only had a cup of coffee and a muffin and I’m still dashed peckish,” he admitted with a sheepish grin.

Daisy and Fenella found

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