Dance to Your Daddy

'Romilly?'

'Romilly.'

'Do they really think he killed Hubert?'

'It turns out not to be Hubert, but Willoughby.'

'Willoughby is dead?'

'Yes. His was the body which Romilly and Mrs Judith saw at Dancing Ledge. How well did you know Willoughby?'

'Pretty well, in a way. He was my grandfather's secretary, you know.'

'Yes, I did know that. Did you like him?'

'Oh, yes, I suppose so. At least, I didn't dislike him. But, of course, I didn't have a great deal to do with him. I was away at school a lot of the time between the ages of nine and eighteen, and in the summer holidays I was sent away to the seaside, and at Christmas time Willoughby was given a fortnight's leave of absence, and grandfather and I usually went to London.'

'That leaves the Easter vacations. Did you see much of him then?'

'No. Grandfather used to take me to Rome or Santiago. He was very devout.'

'Did the Reverend Hubert ever come to see his brother?'

'Not that I can remember, but I believe they kept in touch.'

'So you have never seen Hubert?'

'If ever I did, I was so young that I don't remember it. Oh, I forgot. Of course I saw him at grandfather's funeral.'

'So if you had been called upon to identify the body, you would not have made the mistake which Romilly seems to have done?'

'No, of course not. I should have known it was Willoughby. After all, it was only just over a year since I had seen him.'

'Quite so. Well, now, Laura and I are staying here for two nights. I propose that you do the same, and then we can all travel back to the Stone House together.'

'But it's three hundred and fifty miles! When Romilly kidnapped me, we stayed a night on the way.'

'Yes, we will spend a night in Birmingham. I have friends there. They are related to Laura through her husband. They will find us an hotel. Laura will telephone them forthwith.'

'Sure,' said Laura. 'I expect they will put us up in their own house, though.'

'But I don't want to go back to the Stone House. I'm not safe there,' protested Rosamund urgently. 'It's much too near Galliard Hall.'

'Well, I can hardly ask Mrs Menzies to take you in again at Moy, after you left her house without even the ceremony of a leave-taking,' Dame Beatrice pointed out in mild tones. 'You would not expect me to do that, I'm certain.'

'I shall stay in Carlisle. I like it here.'

'I thought you had spent all your money,' said Laura brusquely.

'I have only to telephone grandfather's lawyers. My allowance is already overdue.'

'Very well. You are of age and I have no jurisdiction in the matter,' said Dame Beatrice, 'so you must do as you please. You had better make sure of your standing with the management of the hotel, though, had you not, before you decide to stay? I fear they may expect to be paid before your allowance comes through.'

'Couldn't you advance me a few pounds to be going on with?'

'I could, but I do not propose to do so. If you are determined to be independent, you must not begin by living on borrowed money.'

'No, I suppose not. I see you intend to force me to come to the Stone House with you.'

'Not at all. On the other hand, I am under no obligation to support your intention of remaining here.'

'I thought you were my friends.'

'Be that as it may,' said Laura, 'it wasn't very friendly on your part to cut your stick and vanish the moment you heard that we were coming to Moy. Oh, well, I'll go and telephone Gavin's brother in Birmingham.'

She went out, humming a tune. Dame Beatrice, who still had faith in many of Freud's theories, recognised it as the Esther and Abi Ofarim number, Darling, go home. It ended, she remembered, What's that you said?-The Will's to be read... I must go weep for my poor old man. She had realised, from the beginning, that Laura, always prone to strong and uninhibited emotions, had disliked Rosamund, but this expression of cynicism was sufficiently remarkable to be worthy of notice. As soon as Laura was out of the room, Rosamund said:

'It's Laura I'm afraid of. That's why I ran away from Moy, and that's why I didn't want to go back with you to the Stone House. Do you realise that I've almost worn out my shoes walking all those miles to escape from her? That shows you how scared I am of her. I have bad dreams about her every night-dreadful dreams.'

'These remarks,' said Dame Beatrice calmly, 'are on a par with your impersonation of Ophelia, are they not? As such, they do not impress me. To quote the classic Campbell of Kilmhor, I would just counsel you to be candid. Whatever you have to fear, it can scarcely be Laura, and so long as Romilly is in custody you have nothing to fear from him, either. Why do you not tell me what is really in your mind?'

'I am quite safe from Romilly until after the end of May, so I don't mind about him any longer, but Laura hates me. I suppose it's because you take an interest in me, isn't it? I suppose she's jealous. Oh, well, I can understand it, I suppose, but it doesn't make things easier.'

'My interest in you is purely professional. Go along now, and make sure of your room for tonight, and then I should lie down and rest those blistered feet, if I were you.'

'Do you think Romilly killed Willoughby?'

'I think it is just as likely as that any other member of the family killed him, not less and not more.'

They don't hang people now, though, do they?-so, even if Romilly is convicted, he'll still be alive and I shall still be in danger.'

'I have a plan for dealing with the situation,' said Dame Beatrice. 'Go and get some rest.' She sent for the hotel manager when Rosamund had gone to her room.

'You recognised the young woman who booked in this morning?' she asked. The manager hesitated a moment before he replied. Then he said:

'Oh, yes, I recognised the young lady, madam, but I was under a misapprehension. This young lady was certainly here under Mr Felix Lestrange's protection, but she is not the young lady I thought you had in mind.'

Dame Beatrice nodded. Felix Napoleon's reputation had rested on solid evidence, she thought. His wild oats, self-sown, had produced another crop, even though, in his dotage, it must have been a thin one.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

BASSE DANSE-CONFRONTATION

The prince discovered to Claudio that he loved my niece, your daughter, and meant to acknowledge it this night in a dance.'

Much Ado About Nothing.

(1)

Dame Beatrice had left Rosamund little choice, and so was not at all surprised when the girl indicated that she was ready and willing to return to the Stone House. In the car she sat in front, next to George, and the journey was uneventful. They were accommodated, that night, in the Birmingham, or, to be exact, the Solihull house belonging to Laura's husband's brother. The household consisted of the man and wife and their daughter, aged sixteen. This child went to a day school, and her homework occupied her for most of the evening. She had done well in her ordinary level examinations and was now halfway through the first of the two years she would spend in studying for her advanced work.

There was high tea at six, followed by supper at ten, and between these meals the girl went up to her room to study and Rosamund elected to rest. The others chatted, looked at a television programme and played a rubber of bridge. After supper, to which the two girls were called down, the schoolgirl, Kirstie, requested Laura to go up and say goodnight to her, for, although they saw little of one another, there was a strong bond of sympathy between aunt and niece.

At half-past eleven the bedtime nightcaps were drunk and, Rosamund having retired soon after Kirstie, the older members went to bed. Laura followed Dame Beatrice to her room.

'Kirstie seems a bit browned-off,' she observed. 'Rosamund doesn't appear to have left her much time for work this evening. She seems to have been unburdening herself to the kid. Wish I'd known. I'd have gone along and broken up the party.'