He shook his head. “I hoped talking to Sam would clarify matters, but I’m still completely in the dark.”
“If you ask me, he’s the heir. He wouldn’t have gone to all that trouble to get hold of his precious ‘papers’ if they proved he wasn’t. And it would take a lot to make Tommy excited.”
“We have only his word for both. I’m just hoping tomorrow will bring a flood of information about the lot of them. Are you ready to go down?”
Daisy contemplated her shingled curls and ran the hairbrush through them one last time. “Ready.”
Dinner was not a convivial occasion. Even Frank was subdued. With little conversation to distract them from eating, the meal was soon over. The sun had set, but it was still light outside. The ladies followed Geraldine to the drawing room, where the men joined them just a few minutes later. In the circumstances, Daisy wasn’t surprised that they chose not to sit on at the table, passing the port in masculine cameraderie.
Vincent and Laurette at once excused themselves and went to walk in the garden.
“Dammit,” Alec muttered. “I wanted to talk to Vincent.”
“Why don’t you follow them?” Daisy suggested.
“I don’t want to talk to Laurette.”
“If we both went for a stroll and happened to meet them, I could distract her.”
“That would leave Geraldine’s drawing room rather thin of company.”
“She’s far more interested in your finding out what’s going on than in your fascinating conversation.”
“Thanks for the compliment!”
“Geraldine, it’s such a glorious evening, you won’t mind if we go out, as well?” Daisy hoped her stress on the last two words would convey something of Alec’s purpose.
Before Geraldine had time to reply, Edgar, standing at the window looking out, cried, “Good lord, a Ghost Swift!”
Martha’s eyes and mouth opened wide in dismay. “A ghost?”
“A moth, my dear, I expect,” Geraldine soothed her. “Too late in the day for butterflies. Edgar’s rather keen on certain insects, Samuel.”
Edgar plunged out in pursuit of his prey, wielding a large handkerchief in lieu of his broken net.
“Do go and enjoy the weather while it’s nice, Daisy,” said Geraldine. “Who knows, it may pour with rain again tomorrow.”
Daisy and Alec went out. Edgar had already galloped off into the dusk and there was no sign of Vincent and Laurette.
“How did they disappear so fast?” Alec demanded crossly.
“They must have gone into the laburnum alley, I should think. Though it’s an odd place to choose when it’s getting dark. Do you want to follow them?”
“No, I want to be visible from the terrace in case the reports arrive from Worcester. Let’s walk down to the chestnut and watch for them to reappear.”
Reaching the chestnut, they stopped and turned. The sky above the house still held the colours of sunset, rose deepening to burnt orange, with a few high, fluffy, pale-pink clouds. The air was soft and still. Bats flitted after midges and moths, their swift, erratic flight reminiscent of a complicated country dance. Daisy hoped Edgar’s Ghost Swift hadn’t been snapped up.
“Look at the evening star, darling,” she said, tucking her arm through Alec’s. “I’ve never seen it brighter.”
But his attention was elsewhere, scanning the gardens with a glance at the house now and then.
Ernest came out on the terrace, a cardboard document case under his arm. Alec waved and started towards him, and he came to meet them.
“For you, sir,” he said in a conspiratorial tone, although no one was near to overhear. “A police officer on a motor bicycle brought it. Me and Mr. Lowecroft thought as it shouldn’t be left unattended on his lordship’s desk.”
“Thank you, Ernest, quite right. Is the officer waiting?”
“Yes, sir, in case you want to send any messages. Cook’s giving him a cuppa in the kitchen.”
“Tell him, would you, that I’ll just take a quick look and write a note for his superintendent.”
“Ernest, do you know what the children are up to?”
“They went down to the river, madam, to see if the water’s gone down enough for boating.”
“Oh no!” Daisy swung round to chase after the errant children. “It’s nearly dark. Alec, they—”
“Madam, they came in half an hour ago. I beg your pardon for alarming you. Mr. Lowecroft arranged for the garden boy to watch after ’em, me being busy serving dinner. They went up to the day nursery. Last seen playing card games under Mrs. Gilpin’s eye.”