‘Can we switch that thing off?’ he asked.

Jenny did so. The silence was deafening.

‘I did it to drown the shouting,’ she said.

‘Miss Emily,’ Alleyn said. ‘Will you sit down?’ She did so.

‘It might be as well,’ he suggested, ‘if everyone did.’

Dr Maine made an impatient noise and walked over to the window. Barrimore sucked his moustache, tasted blood and got out his handkerchief. He was swaying on his feet. Alleyn pushed a chair under him and he collapsed on it. His eyes were out of focus and he reeked of whisky. Mrs Barrimore moved towards Dr Maine. Jenny sat on an arm of Miss Emily’s chair and Patrick on the edge of the table.

‘And now,’ Alleyn said, ‘what has happened?’

For a second or two nobody spoke and then Jenny said: ‘I asked you to come so I suppose I’d better explain.’

‘You better hold your tongue,’ Barrimore mumbled through his bloodied handkerchief.

‘That’ll do,’ said Patrick dangerously.

Alleyn said to Jenny, ‘Will you, then?’

‘If I can. All right. I’d come in to say good night to Miss Emily. Patrick was waiting for me downstairs, I think. Weren’t you?’

He nodded.

‘Miss Emily and I were talking. I was just going to say good night when – when Mrs Barrimore came in.’

‘Jenny – no! No!’ Margaret Barrimore whispered.

‘Don’t stop her,’ Miss Emily said quietly, ‘it’s better not to. I am sure of it.’

‘Patrick?’ Jenny appealed to him.

He hesitated, stared at his mother and then said, ‘You’d better go on, I think. Just the facts, Jenny.’

‘Very well. Mrs Barrimore was distressed and – I think – frightened. She didn’t say why. She looked ill. She asked if she could stay with us for a little while and Miss Emily said yes. We didn’t talk very much. Nothing that could matter.’

Margaret Barrimore said rapidly: ‘Miss Pride was extremely kind. I wasn’t feeling well. I haven’t been well lately. I had a giddy turn: I was near her room. That’s why I went in.’

Dr Maine said: ‘As Mrs Barrimore’s doctor I must insist that she’s not troubled by any questioning. It’s true that she is unwell.’ He jerked a chair forward and touched her arm. ‘Sit down, Margaret,’ he said gently and she obeyed him.

‘ “As Mrs Barrimore’s doctor”,’ her husband quoted and gave a whinnying laugh. ‘That’s wonderful! That’s a superb remark.’

‘Will you go on, please?’

‘OK. Yes. Well, that lasted quite a long time – just the three of us here. And then Dr Maine came in to see Miss Pride. He examined the cut on her neck and he told us it would probably be too rough for us to cross the channel tomorrow. He and Mrs Barrimore were saying good night when Major Barrimore came in.’