The rain eventually stopped long enough for them to hurry back to the house, but thanks to the dripping trees, Fran needed to go straight upstairs and exchange her damp jacket and woollen jumper for a fresh blouse and cardigan.
‘Did you get soaked?’ Mellie asked, as she officiated over the teapot when they were all seated in the drawing room again.
‘Fortunately we were able to take shelter in the little thatched view house on the cliff path.’
‘You know,’ said Henrietta, ‘we have really been most remiss in not inviting Tom to stay the night.’
‘Absolutely,’ agreed Roly. ‘We won’t hear of you going off to eat dinner alone and spending the night in a hotel, will we, Mellie?’
‘No, indeed. Do say you’ll be our guest, Tom.’
Fran held her breath. Tom calling in on a legitimate business matter and happening to find her staying here could be made to sound perfectly innocent. A walk around the garden did not, perhaps, mean all that much, but an overnight stay in the home of mutual acquaintances was most definitely open to connotations of bedroom hopping.
‘That’s awfully generous of you, but I have already trespassed on your hospitality quite enough for one day. Besides which, going on to Exeter this evening will considerably shorten my journey north. It would be a fearful rush to make my appointment in Gloucestershire tomorrow if I were to stay here tonight.’
‘What a pity. Perhaps on another occasion?’
‘That would be delightful, thank you.’
Fran had no further occasion to speak with Tom alone and she was careful to make nothing of his departure, merely wishing him a safe journey and not bothering to accompany him to the front door, as Roland and Mellie Edgerton did.
‘What a nice chap,’ remarked Hen, when they were left together in the drawing room.
‘Yes. He’s good fun, isn’t he?’ Fran replied, attempting to sound as if the idea had only just occurred to her.
Later on, when she was alone in her room, Fran allowed herself to think – just a little – about Tom. It would probably be much better if she tried to forget him altogether. Once this case was behind them, she would have to make a clean and final break. Give up detection (after all, there was no reason to believe that another investigation would ever come her way), and resign from the Robert Barnaby Society, leaving no excuse whatsoever to maintain contact with Tom. Mo was right: there were plenty more fish in the sea and perhaps there was someone else out there whom she could learn to care for. Someone who was available. Someone to share her life with. The plain gold band on her third finger caught her eye. Taking it between her right thumb and forefinger, she slid it off and placed it on the dressing table. She noticed that the place it had occupied was paler than the surrounding skin, creating a ghostly suggestion of a marriage soon to be dissolved. Well, that would fade and the sooner the better. From now on, she would not wear Michael’s ring.
Eddie had returned in time for dinner and was keen to regale his brother with news of mutual acquaintances. ‘Bozzy Fosdyke was there. He’s on two sticks now, the poor old boy, he must be about a hundred years old. And, oh yes, do you remember Burns Minor?’
‘Wasn’t he that horrid little squirt who used to cheat at cards?’
‘That’s the fellow. Well, he’s done tremendously well for himself in the City and he turned up in a chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce. Chap’s worth an absolute fortune, according to Gilkes-Watson.’
‘A cad is always a cad,’ said Roly.
‘Just so. I cut him dead at the church door.’
‘Does everyone have their costume sorted out for tomorrow night?’ asked Mellie, who was clearly bored by all this talk of people she did not know. ‘How about you, Eddie? You always do leave everything to the last minute.’
‘I’m putting on my cricket whites and a false beard and going as W.G. Grace.’
‘That shows a singular lack of effort,’ said Henrietta.
‘Thank you for your usual endorsement of my character. What are you going as, Fran?’ Eddie turned to her with a smile.
‘Your sister has persuaded me to go as Juliet, though I’m really not sure …’
‘You will be perfection in the role. You must allow me to drive you. Juliet needs a winged chariot and Roly’s vehicle is far too sedate.’
‘Don’t be silly, Eddie,’ Mellie objected. ‘We can all fit into Roly’s car and Fran will freeze if you persist in driving with the roof down. She won’t be able to wear a proper hat, as that little beaded Juliet cap is part of the costume.’
‘I shall have the roof up and the heater full on. I assure you that Fran’s health and costume will not be compromised in any way. Besides which, it would be a fearful crush in Roly’s car. Far better for us to split up.’
‘He is right,’ Henrietta conceded, turning to her sister-in-law. ‘Your skirt is very full and has a ton of petticoats under it.’
Mellie conceded the point immediately. Now that the auburn wig had arrived, she had decided that it did not suit her and having abandoned the idea of Ophelia, was going as Cinderella instead. There was nothing in the fairy story to suggest that Cinderella’s ball gown had been crushed and creased on arrival.