He said, ‘Wait a bit, Decima,’ and strode down towards her. He stood and looked at her and then lightly picked up her hands.

‘What’s up?’ asked Cubitt.

‘I can’t stand it, Norman.’

Without looking at Alleyn or Fox he said, ‘You don’t have to talk to these two precious experts if it bothers you. Tell ‘em to go to hell.’ And then he turned her round and, over her shoulder, grinned, not very pleasantly, at Alleyn.

‘I’ve made a fool of myself,’ whispered Decima.

She was looking at Cubitt as though she saw him for the first time. He said, ‘What the devil are you badgering her for?’

‘Just,’ said Alleyn, ‘out of sheer wanton brutality.’

‘It’s all right,’ said Decima. ‘He didn’t badger, really. He’s only doing his loathsome job.’

Her eyes were brilliant with tears, her lips not quite closed, and still she looked with a sort of amazement into Cubitt’s face.

‘Oh, Norman!’ she said, ‘I’ve been so inconsistent and fluttery and feminine. Me!’

‘You!’ said Cubitt.

‘In a moment,’ thought Alleyn, ‘he’ll kiss her.’ And he said, ‘Thank you so much, Miss Moore. I’m extremely sorry to have distressed you. I hope we shan’t have to bother you again.’

‘Look here, Alleyn,’ said Cubitt, ‘if you do want to see Miss Moore again I insist on being present, and that’s flat.’

Before Alleyn could answer this remarkable stipulation Decima said, ‘But, my dear man, I’m afraid you can’t insist on that. You’re not my husband, you know.’

‘That can be attended to,’ said Cubitt. ‘Will you marry me?’

‘Fox,’ said Alleyn, ‘what are you staring at? Come back to Ottercombe.’

III

‘Well, Mr Alleyn,’ said Fox when they were out of earshot, ‘we see some funny things in our line of business, don’t we? What a peculiar moment now, for him to pick on for a proposal. Do you suppose he’s been courting her for a fair while, or did he spring it on her sudden?’

‘Suddenish, I fancy, Fox. Her eyes were wet and that, I suppose, went to his head. I must say she’s a very lovely creature. Didn’t you think so?’

‘A very striking young lady,’ agreed Fox. ‘but I thought the super said she was keeping company with young Pomeroy?’

‘He did.’

‘She’s a bit on the classy side for him, you’d think.’

‘You would, Fox.’

‘Well, now, I wonder what she’ll do. Throw him over and take Mr Cubitt? She looked to me to be rather inclined that way.’

‘I wish she’d told the truth about Watchman,’ said Alleyn.

‘Think there’d been something between them, sir? Relations? Intimacy?’

‘Oh Lord, I rather think so. It’s not a very pleasant thought.’