"Must have been a shock for Mr. Stephen and Mr. Joseph too," said the Inspector.
"Oh yes, it must indeed! Mr. Joseph was quite distracted, rubbing poor Mr. Herriard's hands, and seeming as though he couldn't believe he was dead. Very devoted to Mr. Herriard, he was."
"Was Mr. Stephen much upset?"
"Well, Inspector, Mr. Stephen's not one to wear his heart on his sleeve, as the saying is, but it stands to reason it must have upset him, particularly when he hadn't been on good terms with Mr. Herriard, by all accounts. He looked very white, and spoke to me very curt. He told me he could do with the brandy himself, and he took the tray out of my hands, and told me to go and ring up the doctor. Mr. Joseph was nearly crying, and he said not to speak of Mr. Herriard's death to anyone else. He was a bit upset by Mr. Stephen's manner, Mr. Stephen having a rough tongue, as anyone will tell you. But there's many as will cover up what they feel by a rough manner, and I didn't set any store by anything Mr. Stephen said, for I saw his hand shaking, and I could see he'd had a jolt. What's more, Mr. Stephen doesn't get on with Mr. Joseph, being cross grained, and never having liked Mr. Joseph's coming to live at Lexham, by all accounts. Mr. Joseph sort of brings out the worst in him, if you take my meaning."
"Jealous of him, was he?"
"I wouldn't like to say that, Inspector, though I have heard it said that Mr. Stephen was afraid Mr. Joseph would put his nose out of joint. But I never believed that, because Mr. Stephen's no fool, and anyone could see Mr. Joseph's as innocent as a newborn babe, with no more notion of that kind of thing than nothing at all. In my opinion, it was just Mr. Joseph's way that got Mr. Stephen's goat."
"H'm!" said the Inspector. "You like Mr. Stephen, don't you?"
"I've never had any cause to dislike him. He's always been pleasant enough to me, whenever I've waited on him, which I often have."
"Got a temper, by what I hear."
"Yes, like Mr. Herriard he is, in some ways, except that he's not one to tell the world what he's thinking, by any means. You knew where you were with Mr. Herriard, but Mr. Stephen's no talker, and you wouldn't get to the bottom of him in a hurry. And I don't think the worse of him for that."