"I did think so," she admitted. "That, however, was forgetfulness: I knew that Mr. Seaton-Carew expected to be rung up, for he had mentioned it to me at dinner. I was not best pleased, though it seems heartless to say that now. Telephone conversations in the middle of a Bridge evening hold up the game, and are extremely annoying for everyone else. Miss Birtley answered the call, and I told her to fetch Mr. Seaton-Carew up from the library, where he was playing, to do his talking where he would not be disturbed - and where he would not disturb others. I can't tell you when he came up to this room, because by that time I had myself gone upstairs to my bedroom. Nor can I tell you how long I was absent from the drawing-room: not, I think, many minutes. When I came down again, there was no one either on the landing, or on the staircase, and the door into this room was shut. I assumed that Mr. Seaton-Carew was still telephoning, and went back into the drawing-room. There was a slight dispute going on at one of the tables, which occupied my attention. I recall that I was very much displeased with my secretary - Miss Birtley - for not keeping an eye on the smooth running of things while I was absent from the room, as I had asked her to do. She was not even in the room, but only entered it some minutes after I did. Then Dr Westruther came up from the library, to say that everyone was waiting for Mr. Seaton-Carew to return, and I asked Sir Roderick to come down to this room, and - well, put an end to all this telephoning."
"I think you expressed surprise, didn't you, madam, that Mr. Seaton-Carew should still be speaking on the 'phone?"
"Did I? Quite likely: I remember thinking that he had had ample time to have made two calls."
"Can you form any estimate of the time that had elapsed between your going up to your room, and Sir Roderick's coming here to look for Mr. Seaton-Carew?"
"Really, I would rather not commit myself," she said. "I wasn't paying any particular heed to the time, you see. It might have been ten minutes - I think not less - or it might have been longer. I have no idea."
"I see. And did anyone, other than yourself and Miss Birtley, know of this call?"
"Everyone who dined here knew that the call was expected. I assume that those people who were in the library must all have known that he was fetched to answer the telephone. Mr. Butterwick also knew: he was standing at my elbow when I told Miss Birtley to fetch Mr. Seaton-Carew."
"You are quite sure of that, Mrs. Haddington?"
She stared at him. "Perfectly."
"You don't think that there is any doubt that he heard your conversation with Miss Birtley?"