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Authors: Georgette Heyer
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was it usual for him to drive himself down, or did he take his chauffeur?'
'Sometimes the one and sometimes the other, sir.'
'Upon Saturday, when he left town, was the chauffeur with him?'
'I believe not, sir. There had been a little unpleasantness.'
'What do you mean by that?'
'Between Mr Vereker and Jackson, the chauffeur, sir. Mr Vereker gave Jackson his notice on Saturday morning, Jackson having brought the car round five minutes late again. There was a highly unpleasant scene upon the front-steps. I regret to say that Jackson so far forgot himself as to answer Mr Vereker back. It was quite a brawl, not what one would expect in a gentleman's house at all. Jackson talked extremely wildly, Mr Vereker hardly less so. Both being hot tempered, if I may say so.'
'And when Mr Vereker left the house on Saturday evening, Jackson was not driving the car?'
'No, sir. It was merely brought round to the door - Mr Vereker having stated that he did not wish to see Jackson's face again.'
'I see. At what hour did Mr Vereker leave this house?'
'He left at ten minutes to eight, sir.'
'You seem sure of that. What fixed the time in your memory?'
'Mr Vereker himself, sir. He remarked on it. I understood him to have a dinner engagement. He was not - ahem - pleased at being detained.'
'What detained him?'
The butler drew in his breath, for this was the moment for which he had been waiting. 'A visitor, sir.'
'Who was this visitor?'
'I could not say, sir. He was not a person I had ever seen before. In fact, I should not describe him as the type of gentleman I have been in the habit of admitting to the house. Very down-at-heel, he was, and most determined to see Mr Vereker. Upon my informing him that Mr Vereker was not at home, he set his foot in the door, and replied that he should not leave until he had seen him.'
'Do you mean that his attitude was threatening?'
The butler considered. 'Hardly that, sir. Oh no, not threatening! Very affable, he was, in a silly kind of way. Stood there smiling. I formed the impression that he was under the influence of drink. I was about to summon Matthew - the footman, sir - to assist in putting him outside when Mr Vereker came down the stairs ready to go out.'
'In evening-dress?'
'Precisely, sir. Mr Vereker called out to know what was the matter. The stranger kept on smiling, in what I could only think a very peculiar way, under the circumstances, and after a moment he said, amiable as you please: 'You'd better be at home to me, old fellow.' Those were his exact words, and the effect of them upon Mr Vereker was remarkable. Mr Vereker was a gentleman with a high complexion, but he turned quite pale, and stood there with his hand on the banister, staring.'
'Did he seem to be afraid?'
'I should not like to say that, sir. He looked to me to be very angry and amazed.'
'Do you remember what he said?'
'He did not speak at all, sir, until the stranger said that it would save a lot of unpleasantness if he had a few words with him alone. Then he gave a kind of choke, and told me to let the man in. I did so, of course, and Mr Vereker led the way into this room, and shut the door.'
'How long were they both here?'
'Until Mr Vereker left the house, sir, which he did in company with his visitor. It might have been twenty minutes, or half an hour.'
'Have you any idea what took place between them? Was there any quarrel?'
'I should not call it a quarrel, sir. I never heard the stranger's voice raised once, though I could not help but hear Mr Vereker shouting occasionally. It is my belief that it was money the man wanted, for Mr Vereker said, 'Not one penny do you get out of me!' several times.'
'Did you hear him say anything else?'
'Not a great deal, sir. The term scoundrel was frequently made use of, and Mr Vereker said once, very loudly: 'So you think you can frighten me, do you?' But what the other man replied I don't know, him speaking all the time in a soft voice. After a little while Mr Vereker
'Sometimes the one and sometimes the other, sir.'
'Upon Saturday, when he left town, was the chauffeur with him?'
'I believe not, sir. There had been a little unpleasantness.'
'What do you mean by that?'
'Between Mr Vereker and Jackson, the chauffeur, sir. Mr Vereker gave Jackson his notice on Saturday morning, Jackson having brought the car round five minutes late again. There was a highly unpleasant scene upon the front-steps. I regret to say that Jackson so far forgot himself as to answer Mr Vereker back. It was quite a brawl, not what one would expect in a gentleman's house at all. Jackson talked extremely wildly, Mr Vereker hardly less so. Both being hot tempered, if I may say so.'
'And when Mr Vereker left the house on Saturday evening, Jackson was not driving the car?'
'No, sir. It was merely brought round to the door - Mr Vereker having stated that he did not wish to see Jackson's face again.'
'I see. At what hour did Mr Vereker leave this house?'
'He left at ten minutes to eight, sir.'
'You seem sure of that. What fixed the time in your memory?'
'Mr Vereker himself, sir. He remarked on it. I understood him to have a dinner engagement. He was not - ahem - pleased at being detained.'
'What detained him?'
The butler drew in his breath, for this was the moment for which he had been waiting. 'A visitor, sir.'
'Who was this visitor?'
'I could not say, sir. He was not a person I had ever seen before. In fact, I should not describe him as the type of gentleman I have been in the habit of admitting to the house. Very down-at-heel, he was, and most determined to see Mr Vereker. Upon my informing him that Mr Vereker was not at home, he set his foot in the door, and replied that he should not leave until he had seen him.'
'Do you mean that his attitude was threatening?'
The butler considered. 'Hardly that, sir. Oh no, not threatening! Very affable, he was, in a silly kind of way. Stood there smiling. I formed the impression that he was under the influence of drink. I was about to summon Matthew - the footman, sir - to assist in putting him outside when Mr Vereker came down the stairs ready to go out.'
'In evening-dress?'
'Precisely, sir. Mr Vereker called out to know what was the matter. The stranger kept on smiling, in what I could only think a very peculiar way, under the circumstances, and after a moment he said, amiable as you please: 'You'd better be at home to me, old fellow.' Those were his exact words, and the effect of them upon Mr Vereker was remarkable. Mr Vereker was a gentleman with a high complexion, but he turned quite pale, and stood there with his hand on the banister, staring.'
'Did he seem to be afraid?'
'I should not like to say that, sir. He looked to me to be very angry and amazed.'
'Do you remember what he said?'
'He did not speak at all, sir, until the stranger said that it would save a lot of unpleasantness if he had a few words with him alone. Then he gave a kind of choke, and told me to let the man in. I did so, of course, and Mr Vereker led the way into this room, and shut the door.'
'How long were they both here?'
'Until Mr Vereker left the house, sir, which he did in company with his visitor. It might have been twenty minutes, or half an hour.'
'Have you any idea what took place between them? Was there any quarrel?'
'I should not call it a quarrel, sir. I never heard the stranger's voice raised once, though I could not help but hear Mr Vereker shouting occasionally. It is my belief that it was money the man wanted, for Mr Vereker said, 'Not one penny do you get out of me!' several times.'
'Did you hear him say anything else?'
'Not a great deal, sir. The term scoundrel was frequently made use of, and Mr Vereker said once, very loudly: 'So you think you can frighten me, do you?' But what the other man replied I don't know, him speaking all the time in a soft voice. After a little while Mr Vereker
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