Dance to Your Daddy

'Did you approve of her going to live with Romilly Lestrange after her grandfather's death?'

'We made careful enquiries, but there seemed nothing we could object to in the scheme and, in any case, as the young lady was of age, we could have acted in an advisory capacity only, which is exactly what we did. We advised against it, but she was obdurate.'

'What was the reason for your advice?'

'The fact, which we felt bound to point out to her, that Romilly Lestrange, under the terms of Felix Napoleon's last Will, had an interest in her death, once she had attained the age of twenty-five years. The money, as you probably know, Dame Beatrice, was left in trust for Miss Rosamund Lestrange. She could not touch the capital. After her death, however, or if she were proved incapable of managing her affairs, Romilly became the heir. We had to choose our words, of course, very carefully, but I think we made it clear to her that these provisions might make it highly unsatisfactory for her to become a member of Mr Romilly's household.'

'There was never any suggestion that Romilly had married her, of course?'

'My dear lady, how could there be? She is his half-brother's daughter.'

'Of course,' said Dame Beatrice meekly. 'Was your advice given to her by word of mouth?'

'No. She refused to come and see us, or to let us go and see her. The first letter we received about the new arrangement came from Romilly, and merely informed us that as he was now domiciled permanently in England, he proposed to ask Rosamund to share his home. Upon this we wrote to ask the young lady for an interview, but this she refused to grant us. There was nothing, therefore, for us to do but to send her our extremely carefully-worded warning that her uncle's plans to give her a home might not he completely altruistic, pay her her quarterly allowance, and leave it at that. I do not see how we could have taken any more definite a course. As I pointed out, she was of age and, in a sense, we were not her lawyers. By that, of course, I mean that we had no powers, except to make sure that the terms of the bequest were carried out.'

'You mentioned that Romilly wrote to say that he was now permanently domiciled in England. I understood that, soon after he left the University, Romilly emigrated to Kenya.'

'Oh, yes, he did. Mr Felix Napoleon put up the money for him to buy a half-share in a coffee plantation there.'

'Did you ever meet Romilly?'

'Before he emigrated to Kenya with his natural father's assistance, I had nothing to do with him at all, nor with his brother Caesar. I do know, however, that Caesar left two sons. One of them went into the Church, I believe, and Felix Napoleon employed the other as his secretary, but, again, I never had any occasion to meet either of them.'

'Were these sons close friends? How did they get on together?'

'I have no idea. I have read, of course, in the newspapers, of the tragic death of one of them, and I believe the other is missing.'

'Yes. In my capacity of psychiatric adviser to the Home Office, I am semi-officially engaged in helping with the police investigation into these matters, and I am most grateful to you for giving up your time to me and providing me with so much useful information.'

'Yes,' said the solicitor dubiously. 'Of course, when you came, I had no idea that it was on police business. I trust that you will not need to involve us. We have always had the reputation...'

'I understand that, and I see no need whatever to involve you. I needed to be certain of my facts, that is all. I wonder whether you will be kind enough to tell me one more thing. Have you any idea of Felix Napoleon's last address?'

'I have the last letter he wrote us. It was from a hotel in Carlisle, if my memory serves me.' He touched the buzzer. 'Mr Felix Napoleon Lestrange's file, Pearson, if you please... Yes, here we are. He wrote a vile hand, but you can probably make out the address at the top of the letter.'

CHAPTER TEN

ST VITUS' DANCE-THREE WISE MONKEYS

'One three of them, by their own report, sir, have danced before the king; and not the worst of the three but jumps twelve foot and a half...'

The Winter's Tale.

'Well!' exclaimed Romilly, extending both hands. 'So you have returned to the fold, my dear Beatrice!'

'Are you still in the hands of the police?' asked his visitor, ignoring those he was stretching out to her and speaking with a calculated lack of tact.

'Oh, they are occupying themselves with the concerns of Corin and Corinna, who are closeted with them now for the third time. Giles also has been questioned. Come into the library, where we can chat. The detective-inspector and his sergeant are in the drawing-room and Judith is about her duties in the stillroom, so we are not likely to be disturbed. Have you come to report upon Trilby?'

'She seems well and has settled down with us. I must return the clothes which Binnie so kindly lent her. Can you give me Humphrey's address?'

'Certainly. I will write it down for you.' He did this as soon as they reached the library. 'I take it that you are following my plan to keep Trilby within doors. It is really not safe for her to be allowed out, if there is water in the vicinity.'

'In the vicinity of the Stone House there is nothing but the shallow and narrow upper waters of the Lymington River, and a few of the New Forest ponds. There is no fresh light to be shed on Hubert's death, I suppose?'

'The police at present are baffled, I think.'

'They are often thought to be so, when the truth is that they have discovered valuable clues which it would not be in the public interest (as they put it) to reveal.'

'Do you really think they are on to something?'

'Who can say? If they are, they certainly have not confided in me. There is no news of Willoughby, I suppose?'

'I have heard none. One hesitates to wonder whether...'

'Does one? I have wondered it. He and Hubert are brothers, are they not?'

'You are thinking of Cain and Abel, but is that fair? There may be some utterly innocent reason for Willoughby's disappearance, or, of course (although one hardly cares to frame the words), the murderer may have made away with both the brothers.'

'I have envisaged that possibility also. In fact, I am inclined to put it more positively. I think there is a strong probability that such is the case.'

'But what would be the reason for so dastardly a deed? Neither was a wealthy man and both seemed the last types to make enemies. I should be interested to hear what you, as a psychiatrist, make of it.'

'I cannot make bricks without straw. I have never so much as met either of the young men.'

'Have you not? You would have found them charming fellows, I am sure, and I would have said that there was the closest friendship between them, a happy state of things which one does not always find where brothers are concerned.'

'How right you are. There was no question, I suppose, of there being a woman in the case? Sometimes, between even the best of friends, or between relatives with the closest family ties...'

'Oh, as to that, I have no information. Hubert, of course, being a priest of the English Church, would not have been bound to celibacy. I wonder...'

The library door opened and Amabel came in.

'The police gentlemen be feneshed, sir,' she announced. They said as how they would be glad to speak to ee afore they go. Should Oi show 'em en here, sir?'

'Yes, of course show them in here. Do you care to stay, Beatrice, and hear what they have to say?'

'No. I expect they would prefer to see you alone. I will have a little chat with Corin and Corinna, of whom I was able to see almost nothing when I was here before, and then I will take myself off. I had better say goodbye now, in case your session with the police officers is a long one.' She thought it better not to meet Kirkby in front of Romilly, in case the latter should deduce that they were old acquaintances. She met the detective-inspector in the hall, bowed and then walked straight past him. Kirkby accepted her lead, returned her bow with a slight inclination of the head, and went on to the library where Amabel was waiting to show him in. Dame Beatrice herself went to the drawing-room.