She rose, a spot of colour on each cheek. “It's no use talking to me in that rude way! I've a right to say what I think - more right than Leslie Rivers, let me tell you! Of course, I'm getting used to being snubbed in this household whenever I open my mouth, but I'll thank you to remember that I'm your fiancée, Kenneth!”
He looked at her in a detached way, as though he found her a curious but not uninteresting specimen. “Funny,” he remarked. “Tony always said you had a streak of vulgarity. I see what she means now.”
“How dare you insult me?” she flashed, her lips thin with anger.
“If you don't want me to insult you, lay off my sister!” he said, a hard light in his eyes.
“I shall do no such thing. You've behaved like a fool over the whole of this affair, but if you won't help yourself you needn't think I shall keep my mouth shut! If you weren't utterly selfish you'd try and understand my point of view. You don't suppose I'm going to enjoy seeing you arrested for murder, do you? You haven't even thought of what will happen to me if they convict you?”
“No,” said Kenneth, with a crooked smile. “I haven't.”
“Well, I have thought! And I want to know whether Tony really was with Mr Carrington till midnight. You needn't tell me that Murgatroyd saw him bring her back here: Murgatroyd would say anything. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me at all to discover that she had a great deal more to do with both these murders than we've any idea of!”
“One moment, Miss Williams,” said Giles. “You are forgetting my evidence, aren't you?”
“No, Mr Carrington, I'm not. But it's quite obvious that you'd say or do anything to shield Tony. I'm sorry if you're offended, but I can't and I won't stand by and see Kenneth taken to prison for want of a little plain speaking!”
At this point Hannasyde interposed by asking Kenneth if he was ready to go with him.