‘I know she was, miss. You too, I understands. That’s the reason I’m here, in fact. Would you mind terribly trying to rouse her? I rather needs to speak to her. To you both, in fact.’
‘Of course. Is there something the matter?’
‘There is, miss, but I’d prefer just to go through it the once if that’s not too idle of me.’
‘Not at all, Constable. Please come in, won’t you. You know where the kitchen is? There’s some tea in the pot, do please help yourself and I’ll try to awaken Lady Hardcastle.’
‘Much obliged, miss,’ he said, plodding obediently into the kitchen.
I run upstairs and knocked on the bedroom door. There was no reply but I opened it and went in anyway. She was still fast asleep and it took quite a bit of shaking to awaken her.
‘Oh, Flo, do leave off, there’s a dear. Let poor Emily sleep.’
‘No, my lady, you have to get up. The police are here.’
‘The police?’ she mumbled. ‘What, all of them? Whatever do they want? I hope they wiped their feet.’ Her eyes closed.
I sighed and shook her again. ‘No, my lady, just Constable Hancock. But he needs to speak to us both and I think it has something to do with The Grange.’
‘If it’s about the missing brandy, tell him I’ll buy them a case of the stuff and then invite him to come back tomorrow.’
‘I really don’t think it’s about the brandy, my lady, and I really do think you need to get up. This instant.’
‘Have I ever told you how much of a bully you are, Florence Armstrong?’ she said, groggily. ‘Can’t a girl lie in bed with a hangover once in a while without puritanical maids and officious policemen intruding on her slumbers?’
‘You tell me all the time, my lady. Please get up.’
‘Very well, very well,’ she said, sitting up at last. ‘Tell him I’ll be down presently. Make tea. And eggs. Scramble eggs for me. With toast.’
‘Yes, my lady.’
I left her to get up in her own time and returned to the kitchen where I found Constable Hancock sitting at his ease and sipping tea. He made to stand up, slopping his tea slightly as he did so.
‘Please don’t get up, constable,’ I said, waving him back down. ‘Lady Hancock will be just a few moments.’
‘Very good, miss. Thank you.’
I gave him a damp cloth and he dabbed at the tea stain on his jacket as I set about making some breakfast.
‘I’m making some breakfast for Lady Hardcastle, would you like some eggs?’
‘Thank you, miss, yes please. You’re very kind. Is that fresh bread I smells?’
‘It is, but it’s still proving. I was hoping to have it ready for lunch. I have some left over from yesterday that will be perfect for toast, though. I do love to bake my own bread. Do you bake?’
He laughed the heartiest laugh I’d ever heard him give. ‘Me, miss? Bake? You are a caution. Whoever heard of such a thing? No, our ma always used to make her own bread, mind.’
‘Most professional bakers are men, are they not?’ I said, mischievously.
‘That they are, miss. But most professional bakers are not policemen. Quite aside from it being a woman’s work to bake around the house, I doesn’t have time for no baking shenanigans. Baking.’ He chuckled again. ‘I shall have to tell the sarge about this.’
‘Unless he thinks it such a great idea that he has you baking bread for his breakfast.’
His cheery laughter erupted again.
‘Gracious, you two seem happy,’ croaked Lady Hardcastle from the doorway.
Constable Hancock jumped to his feet. ‘Good morning, m’lady. I’m sorry to call so early.’
‘Nonsense, constable, it’s already...’
‘Ten o’clock, my lady,’ I said, nodding towards the large clock on the kitchen wall.
‘Quite so,’ she said. ‘Plenty late enough to be calling. So what can I do for you, my dear constable?’
‘It seems we only ever meets when there’s bad news, m’lady,’ he said, apologetically. ‘There’s a to-do up at The Grange.’
‘Oh dear,’ she said, accepting the glass of water I’d just poured for her. ‘What sort of to-do?’
‘Seems one of the musicians died, m’lady.’
‘Oh no, how sad. Was he ill? Was it unexpected?’
‘I don’t suppose as how he expected to be clouted round the back of the head with something heavy, no, m’lady.’
She sat down at the table and sipped slowly at her water. ‘Gracious me. Is there anything I can do?’
‘That’s more or less why I’m here, m’lady. Inspector Sunderland has already arrived and asked if I’d come and fetch you both so as how you could give witness statements and such.’
‘Of course, of course.’ She looked more than a little fragile. ‘I don’t suppose,’ she began with unaccustomed tentativeness, ‘you have transport of some sort.’
‘I’ve got my bicycle,’ he said with a wink in my direction.
‘Oh,’ she groaned.
‘Only teasing, m’lady. Sir Hector sent me in his motor car. Bert’s waiting outside.’
‘Oh, thank goodness. You’re a wicked man, Constable Hancock. I think Armstrong is a bad influence on you.’
‘Me, my lady?’ I said, setting out plates on the kitchen table for the impromptu breakfast party. ‘I am a paragon of virtue, I’ll have you know.’
Constable Hancock began to chuckle but looked suddenly embarrassed and busied himself with the teapot and cups I’d just set down in front of him on the table.
‘Relax, Constable,’ said Lady Hardcastle. ‘I think we can safely say by now that you’re among friends.’
He smiled and poured the tea.
We ate hastily together, the conversation turning completely away from the “to-do” at The Grange and focussing instead on more mundane matters of village life. There would be a time for dead trumpeters and head-walloping in due course.
‘Lady Hardcastle,’ said Inspector Sunderland, ‘thank you for coming. I’m sorry to have to summon you so early on the morning after a party, but you can understand the urgency, I’m sure.’
Lady Hardcastle had taken Aspirin as well as sweet tea and her light breakfast, and was already more like her normal self. ‘Please think nothing of it, Inspector. I’m only too pleased to help.’
‘Thank you, my lady. And thank you, too, Miss Armstrong. I gather you were both here last evening.’
‘Yes, Inspector,’ I said. ‘I arrived at The Grange just before four in the afternoon and spent most of my time below stairs until around seven o’clock when the guests started to arrive. Lady Hardcastle and I left together at around half-past midnight.’
‘Seven? Isn’t that rather early for a ball? I thought these things began around ten.’
‘They do, Inspector,’ said Lady Hardcastle, ‘in fashionable society. But out here in the country they prefer an early start and early to bed. To be fair, it was more of a soirée than a ball.’
‘I see,’ he said, clearly still bemused by the antics of the privileged classes. ‘And you, Lady Hardcastle? When did you arrive?’
‘At around a quarter past eight, I should say.’