Page 19 of Evidence of Evil
“Just before ten,” John replied. “She had left the lantern with Frances while she and Lady Maule walked around the lake, talking.”
“Talking in a friendly way?” Constance asked.
“According to Bingham. She would not otherwise have left her mistress alone there.”
Constance made a note to speak to Bingham herself. And other servants, who frequently had a different view of people from their betters.
“Sadly, I never met Miss Niall,” Constance said. “What was she like?”
“The light of my life and everyone else’s,” Colonel Niall said in a muffled voice. “She lit up the room with her charm and goodness. Everyone loved her.”
Constance watched John rather than the colonel during this accolade. A tiny smile flickered across his lips, a little resigned, a little sardonic. Interesting…
“Did you know Miss Niall had quarreled with Lady Maule?” Solomon asked.
“They had an exchange of views over dinner one night,” John said, again before his father could speak.
“What about?” Solomon asked.
John’s eyes slid away from Sir Humphrey. “The duties of a wife. It was all a little silly, to be honest. Especially since Frances didn’t even believe what she was saying.”
“Of course she did,” Colonel Niall said. “And she was quite right! It is a wife’s duty to obey, defer, and submit to her husband!”
“And Elizabeth disputed that?” Constance asked, uneasy for some reason. The idea of submitting to any man was utterly abhorrent to her, but Elizabeth had taken vows of marriage.
“Not in its entirety,” John said, shifting uncomfortably and setting down his cup and saucer. “She insisted it was also a wife’s duty to tell her husband when he was wrong.”
“She was right,” Sir Humphrey insisted. “They were both right, and from what Elizabeth tells me, that was the conclusion they reached during their talk by the lake. They both regretted their hasty words—and, in fact, Elizabeth had thought no more about them until she received Frances’s note of apology.” He glanced at the colonel. “Hergraciousnote of apology.”
Colonel Niall sniffed but looked mollified once more.
“It doesn’t sound like much of a motive for murder,” Constance observed.
“And what would you know of such matters, young lady?” Colonel Niall demanded.
“I am hardly an expert in murder, of course, but I do observe human nature,” Constance said before anyone could doubt her respectability. Which amused her on one level.
Solomon regarded the colonel. “Sir, given that we all need the truth about what happened to your daughter, would you grant us permission to speak to your servants, particularly Miss Niall’s maid?”
“No, I would not,” the colonel said wrathfully. “Those policemen have been pestering them already. I won’t have them under suspicion for something they clearly did not do!”
Which was interesting when he obviously had no such compunction about his friend’s wife.
“I have no reason to suspect them,” Solomon said mildly. “My hope is that they might have witnessed something or someone that will shed further light on the matter. We are speaking to as many people as we can from here to The Willows.”
Sir Humphrey looked appalled. He did not have the patience or the stomach for such work.
John said, “It can only help, Papa. I shall supervise such interviews if you wish.”
Abruptly, the colonel seemed to lose all his fight. He made a weak gesture with one hand. “Do as you will. None of it will bring Frances back.”
Constance rose to her feet. It was clearly time to leave him. “No,” she agreed. “I am so sorry, colonel.”
Sir Humphrey was looking relieved as he stood with her. Solomon, as impassive as ever, merely bowed and thanked Colonel Niall for his time. John ushered them out of the room and toward the stairs.
“I’m sorry about my father,” he said awkwardly to Sir Humphrey as they all moved toward the staircase. “He is just lashing out because Lady Maule is the only person he has ever seen quarrel with my sister. I know it was only a minor disagreement, but he seems to have latched on to it.”
Constance latched on to something else—the peculiar wording of John’s apology.Lady Maule is the only person he has ever seen quarrel with my sister. Did that mean she had quarreled with others her father hadnotwitnessed?
