Patricia Wentworth - Latter End

“They were separate custard-glasses?”

“Yes.”

“Who served them?”

“Lois had them in front of her. She took one, and helped the others.”

“She helped herself?”

“Oh, yes, definitely.”

“Was there any reason why she should have taken one glass rather than another?”

He dropped the keys again. This time he let them lie.

“Yes, there was,” he said. “There was only one without cream. I never thought about that-she doesn’t take cream.”

Miss Silver stopped knitting for a moment. She looked at him gravely.

“Who would have access to these glasses of fruit after the cook had prepared them?”

He plunged into explanations.

“ Antony -my cousin Antony Latter-he collected the meat-plates and took them out. We haven’t a proper staff at present, so we wait on ourselves… Julia and Ellie, my stepsisters- Mrs. Street -and Miss Vane-they were in and out… And so was Minnie. I didn’t want her to do anything, because there were plenty without her, but she would go. I think Julia brought in the savoury, and Minnie the custard-glasses. She will always be doing something-she’s so unselfish.”

Miss Silver laid her knitting down on the arm of her chair and rose to her feet.

“I think, Mr. Latter, that you had better give me the particulars of your household before we go any farther. I find there is a tendency to confusion.”

As he picked up his keys and followed her to the writing-table he had a guilty conviction that the confusion could be nobody’s fault but his own. If he had not had a stepmother who had remarried, it would all be so much easier to explain, but still there would have been Minnie who was no relation at all-

At this point he became hopelessly fogged, because it occurred to him that if it hadn’t been for Marcia and her twins, Minnie never would have been imported into his household. He found himself quite unable to think of the last twenty-five years without her, and quite bewildered at the prospect of having to face a future in which she had no part. He watched gloomily whilst Miss Silver took out a bright red copybook, wrote a heading, and waited, pencil poised, for the particulars she desired.

It cannot be said that the manner in which he produced them was calculated to clarify the situation, but Miss Silver was experienced and firm. When he digressed she brought him back, when he became involved she picked up a thread and disentangled it. In the end she had everyone written down neatly in her red copybook:

Mr. James Latter-51-of Latter End, Rayle.

Mrs. Latter-37-formerly Mrs. Doubleday-two years married.

Antony Latter-28-first cousin-recently demobilized-about to enter family publishing business as a junior partner.

Mrs. Street amp; Miss Julia Vane-24-twin daughters of Mr. Latter’s stepmother.

Mrs. Street has a husband in hospital at Crampton. Miss Vane is engaged in literary work in London, but has been a frequent visitor during the past fortnight. Before that there was a breach.

Miss Minnie Mercer-48-daughter of the late Dr. John Mercer, family physician to the Latter household, which she entered on her father’s death, just after Mrs. Vane returned to Latter End as a widow for the second time. The twins were born a few months later.

Mrs. Maniple-70-cook-housekeeper-in her fifty-fourth year of service at Latter End.

Poly Pell-17-kitchenmaid.

Mrs. Huggins-occasional daily help.

Not a very long list, and not so very many particulars, but it had taken some time to get them.

Miss Silver sat up straight with the pencil in her hand and gave a slight preliminary cough.

“And now, Mr. Latter, will you tell me if any of these people have a grudge against your wife?”

“How could they have?”

“That is for you to say. You mention, for instance, that Miss Vane, who is now a frequent visitor, had not been so for some time past-that strained relations had in fact existed. With whom had the quarrel been? With your wife?”

“Well, there wasn’t exactly a quarrel. I must have given you a wrong impression. I hope you didn’t write it down. It was just they didn’t hit it off-at least Julia didn’t. Lois was an angel about it-never bore any malice-always said Julia would come round. And she has.”

“There was no quarrel?”

He shook his head.

“Nothing to quarrel about. I’m very fond of Julia-always have been-but she flies off the handle. Very warmhearted girl, but impulsive-doesn’t stop to think. Ellie’s quite different-gentle, you know. Bad luck for her, her husband losing a leg like that…” He wandered off into a life history of Ronnie Street, from which Miss Silver presently recalled him.

“Quite so, Mr. Latter. I hope that he will soon be sufficiently restored to take up the appointment of which you speak. Now about Miss Mercer. You say she is leaving your household after twenty-five years in it. Is that in consequence of any breach with your wife?”

Jimmy showed considerable distress.

“Oh, no-of course not. She wants to go.”

Miss Silver coughed.

“That is not an answer to my question, Mr. Latter. Why does she want to go?”

He ran a hand through his hair.

“I don’t know. And that’s what’s worrying me-it’s not only the time she’s been with us, but all the time before. You see, my mother died when I was born, and my father couldn’t bear it. He went off abroad-travelling about, you know. Well, Mrs. Mercer took me on. She’d just lost a child. Minnie was born three years later. My father didn’t marry again till I was fifteen. I was with the Mercers till I went to school, and for the holidays after that. Minnie is all the same as my sister.”

Miss Silver’s small nondescript eyes regarded him intelligently.

“Sisters and wives do not always agree, Mr. Latter.”

Jimmy rubbed his nose.

“No-no. Can’t think why women don’t hit it off. Not that Lois-besides you couldn’t quarrel with Minnie-nobody could. She’s one of those quiet, gentle girls-always doing things for other people-never thinking about herself. But Lois says she gets on her nerves.” He rubbed in a most scarifying manner. “Why should she?”

“I do not know, Mr. Latter. It is quite possible that Mrs. Latter does not know either. But you have said quite enough to account for Miss Mercer’s decision to go elsewhere.”

He looked wretched.

“I asked her point-blank why she wanted to go, and I couldn’t get to the bottom of it. You’ve only to look at her to see how unhappy she is. Why, I begged her to stay, and she only turned as white as a sheet and went out of the room.”

Miss Silver coughed.

“Well, Mr. Latter, there are two members of your household who are not on very good terms with your wife. What about Mrs. Street?”

It took Jimmy Latter about a quarter of an hour to explain how angelic Lois had been to Ellie-“looked after her like a mother. And of course, as she says, it would never do to have that poor chap Ronnie Street in the house-Ellie would only wear herself out.”

Miss Silver mentally added Ellie Street to the list of those who had no great reason to love Mrs. Latter. Her enquiry as to the attitude of Mr. Antony Latter also provided some grounds for speculation.

“Oh, he was quite a pal of Lois’-knew her before I did. In fact I don’t mind saying I got the wind up about him. Of course he’s a bit younger, but she doesn’t look her age-not anything like. And there they were, always about together- well, I give you my word, I didn’t think I’d got a chance. Antony ’s one of those clever chaps. I never thought she’d look at me, but she did-I can’t think why. Anyhow he’s been off abroad for the last two years-just got demobilized. I told you about that.”