The giving of his opinion was forestalled by Miss Trewent. “I’m fine, Benedict. Don’t fuss. Icouldaim lower.”
“Ouch. No need to be nasty.”
Miss Trewent had a fork, with an unusual stag antler handle, poking hard at Stone’s stomach. Lucas felt a little hot at the thought of her aiming anything lower on him.
He desperately needed to get out of here.
A shout in the hall made everyone’s head turn, and a large, well-dressed man charged into the room.
“Stonebridge, where’s this chap from London? My wife is missing.”
Lucas looked enquiringly to Stone for an introduction, but his eyes were steadfast on the interloper, a look of utter contempt on his face.
“Sir Hector. What do you want?” Stone’s voice was icy and imperious, and not for the first time, Lucas understood his churlish reputation.
“My wife has been missing since Tuesday.”
“And you’ve only just reported it?” Lucas interrupted. The interloper stared at him, eyes narrowing in distaste as he took in his face.
“You’re the chap from London…this major?”
It looked like Miss Trewent was about to interrupt with an introduction, so Lucas carried on.
“That would be I, yes. The name’s Mainwaring. You say your wife is missing and yet you haven’t come to call until today. Indeed, you were on business in Knutsford yesterday?”
The man sniffed and stalked up to him. The blustering fellow was tall, but not tall enough. He sneered at Lucas. “Look,Major. I was making sure the daft woman hadn’t gone to visit a relative or some such. Stupid creature.”
Lucas could feel Miss Trewent bristle and realised why O’Carroll also wanted to give the man a clout.
“There is a killer on the loose,” Lucas enunciated clearly, “and yet you didn’t feel that was sufficient enough reason to inform us of her disappearance. Perhaps you had a different reason? Perhaps you needed time?”
“Time?” the man spluttered, his chest puffing.
“Time to hide the body? Time to wash the blood from your clothes? Time to pay the servants off? Time, Sir Hector.”
“How dare you, you jumped-up, bloody back–”
Lucas stepped closer, his face fierce. “I dare anything when an innocent woman is missing and her dullard of a husband can’t even be bothered to report it. And that isLordHelmdon to you,SirHector.”
The man backed down, his shoulders slumping and his eyes shifting away.
“Lord Stonebridge,” Lucas asked without taking his eyes from the magistrate, “may we use your study?”
“With pleasure, Lord Helmdon. You know the way.”
What a revolting man.
A bully and, worse, a bully who used his title and capacity as magistrate to cower others. Lucas couldn’t understand why the earl hadn’t got him replaced.
Entering the drawing room, he discovered Miss Trewent and Stone cosily playing chess. He strode to the French doors and surveyed the leaden sky, anger flooding him. He felt rather than saw Miss Trewent take her cue to leave.
“Unpleasant, isn’t he?” Stone ventured.
“Why haven’t you had him replaced?” The question was direct and blunt. He’d had enough of people hedging and omitting details.
He was met with silence, so continued, “He’s an odious man who probably abuses his power. I’m sure you could have had him removed?”
Lucas swivelled to see Stone merely shrug and felt fury pound through his veins. He’d mainly asked Sir Hector for details on his missing wife and they’d arranged to meet the next day to discuss the actual murders. Sir Hector had, however, revealed something.
