No Wind of Blame

‘That is the general opinion, Inspector. Mr Steel is not one to hide his feelings, and I have more than once seen him look at Mr Carter in a way which gave me quite a turn.’ He coughed behind his hand. ‘I wouldn’t want to conceal anything from you, Inspector, and I am bound to say that Mr Carter did not behave to Mrs Carter as he should. There have been some very regrettable incidents. One could not altogether blame Mr Steel for feeling as he did. We have thought lately in the servants’ hall, that matters were approaching what one might call a crisis. Mr Steel called to see Mrs Carter this morning, at a time when she was greatly upset by a quarrel with Mr Carter. When Mr Steel left, I chanced to be within earshot, and I could not but hear what he said to Miss Cliffe in the hall.’

‘What was that?’

‘I’m sure I don’t wish to say anything that might give you a wrong impression, Inspector. Mr Steel was in a black rage, and he told Miss Cliffe he would like to break Mr Carter’s neck.’

‘Did he see Mr Carter this morning?’

‘No, Inspector. He left the house saying he could not bring himself to sit at table with Mr Carter. He told Miss Cliffe he had been in love with Mrs Carter ever since he had first known her.’

‘Nice goings on in this house!’ muttered the Inspector. ‘What about this Prince? What’s he doing here?’

‘Prince Varasashvili,’ replied Peake, ‘is a friend of Mrs Carter. She met him at Antibes.’

‘Oh, one of those, is he?’ said the Inspector knowingly.

‘An impoverished foreign nobleman, I understand, Inspector. Very much the ladies’ man. We have noticed that Mrs Carter seems to be greatly taken with him.’

‘What about Mr Carter?’

‘Mr Carter was not in favour of the Prince’s visit. Mr Carter went so far as to say to me, when he was slightly intoxicated, that it was his belief the Prince was after his wife’s money.’

‘He did, did he? What about Mrs Carter’s daughter? It wouldn’t by any chance be her he’s after?’

‘I fancy not, Inspector.’

‘What kind of a girl is this Miss Fanshawe?’

‘Miss Vicky, Inspector, is a very unexpected young lady. One never knows what she will be at next, in a manner of speaking. She is devoted to Mrs Carter.’

‘And the other one?’

‘Miss Cliffe is a nice young lady. She was Mr Carter’s ward, and Mr Carter did tell me that he should leave all his money to her.’

‘Well, that wasn’t much, by all accounts.’

‘Mr Carter, Inspector, was expecting to come into a great deal of money. He never made any secret of that. He has a rich aunt, a very old lady, I understand, who has been confined in a private lunatic asylum for many years.’

‘From what I’ve seen of this house, that’s one thing that doesn’t surprise me!’ said the Inspector.

He put one or two more questions to the butler, but soon found that Peake had told him all he knew. He requested him to summon Miss Cliffe to the morning-room, and sat digesting the information he had acquired until Mary came in.

‘You want to speak to me, Inspector?’

‘If you please, miss,’ said the Inspector, indicating a chair.

She sat down on it. She was looking a little pale, and there was an anxious expression in her eyes which did not escape the Inspector.

‘Now, miss! I understand that Mr Robert Steel called here this morning to see Mrs Carter. Is that a fact?’

‘Yes.’

‘You didn’t mention it to me before. How was that?’

‘I didn’t think it was important. Mr Steel is a close friend, and often drops in to see us.’

‘Was Mr Steel a close friend of Mr Carter’s, miss?’

She hesitated. ‘I should call him a friend of the house.’