‘Darling,’ she murmured. With a sort of hurried intensity she kissed Bridget’s hair. ‘How could you frighten me like this, Bridgie, how could you?’

‘I thought you wouldn’t know. Donna, don’t. It’s all right, really it is. It was only about Donald. I didn’t want to worry you. I’m so sorry, dear Donna.’ Lady Carrados gently disengaged herself and turned to Alleyn.

‘Come and sit down, Evelyn,’ he said. ‘There’s nothing to worry about. I would have brought your daughter home, but she had some interesting news and I thought you would trust her with me for half an hour.’

‘Yes, Roderick, of course. If only I had known. Where’s Donald? I thought he was here.’

‘He’s in the next room. Shall we send Bridget to join him for a minute or two?’

‘Please.’

‘Don’t interrupt him,’ said Alleyn as Bridget went out.

‘All right.’

The door closed behind her.

Alleyn said: ‘Do you ever drink brandy, Evelyn?’

‘Never, why?’

‘You’re going to do so now. You’re quite done up. Warm your hands at my fire while I get it for you.’

He actually persuaded her to drink a little brandy, and laughed at her convulsive shudder.

‘Now then,’ he said, ‘there’s no need for you to fuss about Bridget. She’s been, on the whole, a very sensible young person and her only fault is in giving a commonplace visit the air of a secret elopement.’

‘My nerves have gone, I think. I began to imagine all sorts of horrible things. I even wondered if she suspected Donald of this crime.’

‘She is, on the contrary, absolutely assured of Donald’s innocence.’

‘Then why did she do this?’

‘I’d better tell you the whole story. The truth is, Evelyn, they were longing for each other’s bright eyes. Bridget wanted to convince me of Donald’s innocence. She also wanted him to tell me this and that about a third person who doesn’t matter at the moment. They met, most reprehensibly, at the Matador.’

‘The Matador! Roderick, how naughty of them! It just simply isn’t done by débutantes. No, really that was very naughty.’

Alleyn was both relieved and surprised to find that this departure from débutantes’ etiquette took momentary precedence over Lady Carrados’s other troubles.

‘They had only just arrived, I imagine, when I ran into them there. The place was only half-full, Evelyn. It was too early for the smart people. I shouldn’t think anyone else saw them. I brought them on here.’

‘I’m very glad you did,’ she said doubtfully.

‘Was that all that worried you?’

‘No. It’s Herbert. He’s been so extraordinary, Roderick, since this tragedy. He’s stayed indoors all day and he never takes his eyes off me. I was afraid he would give up this dinner tonight, but, thank Heaven, he didn’t. It is followed by the annual regimental dance and he has to present trophies or something so it will keep him quite late. I should have gone too, but I couldn’t face it. I couldn’t face another hour with him. He keeps making curious hints as if he—Roderick, almost as if he suspected me of something.’