02 - Murder at Dareswick Hall by Margaret Addison Read Free Book Online

say,
although his smile did not reach his eyes, Rose noticed, and when he thought no
one was looking, she saw him cast Hallam a furious look.
    If the
baron felt minded to demand an apology from his son for his behaviour, he
obviously thought better of it, and instead contented himself by leading
everyone into the dining room for dinner, no doubt hopeful that good food and full
stomachs might restore the mood and encourage a feeling of celebration,
although it seemed to Rose that he alone believed there was anything to rejoice
about.
    There
was a precedence for dinner, Rose knew, as to which gentlemen should take in
which lady. As the only female guest, the baron as host gave her his arm and
led her in to dinner. She felt that Josephine, acting as hostess, should have
been taken in next by the gentleman of highest rank, which in this case would
have been Lord Sneddon as heir to a dukedom. But it seemed that the baron had
considered it wise to break with precedence on this occasion given the
atmosphere, for he indicated that Sneddon should lead in Isabella. They in turn
were followed by Cedric who led in Josephine and lastly Hallam who brought up
the rear, walking in alone, partnerless and distinctly sulky. Rose reminded
herself that at eighteen he was barely more than a child and that no doubt he
had been spoilt and doted on by his sisters. She pitied him, for he alone had
been prepared to say in public what the others surely felt in private.
    Family
and guests filed into the dining room, which had retained its eighteenth
century panelling and had pale scrubbed floorboards, typical Georgian features
of the house. The baron remained standing in order that he could indicate where
each gentleman should sit, the intention being that each lady sit on the right
hand of the gentleman who had taken her into dinner. However, Rose saw that on
reflection the baron obviously felt, in light of what had passed in the drawing
room, that it would be both wise and diplomatic to ensure that Hallam sat
nowhere near to Lord Sneddon and Josephine also be seated away from him.  She
wondered what there had been between Lord Sneddon and Josephine for Hallam to
show such concern as to how she would be taking the news of his engagement to
her sister. Could it be that she had once harboured dreams herself of becoming
his wife?
    In the
end the seating arrangements resulted in Hallam sitting at the head of the
table with his father on his right and Josephine on his left. Next to Josephine
sat Cedric, and next to him, on his left, sat Isabella. Opposite her sat
Sneddon who, to Rose’s dismay, was also sitting on her right, while the baron
was on her left.
    The
meal started well enough for Rose with the baron engaging her in pleasant small
talk about Dareswick Hall, its history and how long it had been in the
ownership of the Atherton family. For a while she wondered whether the inevitable
would not happen after all, that she would not be forced to engage in
conversation with Lord Sneddon. For it appeared that the baron had no intention
of speaking to his son. Hallam, she noticed out of the corner of her eye,
seemed to barely register the existence of anyone at the table, preferring
instead to study the tablecloth and pick at his napkin, although every now and
then he lifted up his head to scowl at Sneddon, who seemed oblivious to his
action, or to throw the odd glance at Josephine, which she met with a troubled
smile.
     
    ‘Mr Crabtree,
if I may disturb you for a moment,’ said Mrs Hodges, coming into the butler’s
pantry and closing the door firmly behind her.
    ‘What
can I do for you, Mrs Hodges?’ enquired the butler, mopping his brow and hoping
that the housekeeper had not caught sight of the empty whisky glass on the
counter behind him, or indeed seen him gulp down its contents hurriedly before
she entered the room.
    ‘Pearl
has just told me that Lord Sneddon has brought his own valet with him. Surely
not! No one said anything about getting a