Maud was unimpressed. Seating herself in her accustomed chair by the fire, she said: "I do not think that it will do anyone any good to know who killed Nat, Joe, for as he is dead there is nothing to be done about it, and it will only create a great deal of unpleasantness to pry into the affair. Like Hamlet," she added. "Simply upsetting things. But the Life of the Empress of Austria belongs to the lending library, and if it is lost I shall be obliged to pay for it. Besides, I hadn't finished it."
This was so unanswerable that beyond begging her, rather feebly, not to waste the Inspector's time in such an absurd fashion, Joseph allowed the matter to drop. The rest of the party began to assemble in the room for tea, and everyone's attention was diverted from the major anxiety of the moment by Valerie's simple but effective way of carrying off what could only be regarded as a difficult situation. Surveying the company with cornflower blue eyes of limpid innocence, she said: "Oh, I say, has Stephen told you that we're unengaged? I expect you probably think it's fairly lousy of me to call it off just because the police think he murdered Mr. Herriard, but actually it wasn't me at all, but Mummy. And anyway, we'd completely gone off each other, so it doesn't matter." She smiled in a dazzling way, and added: "The funny thing is that I like him much more now that we're not engaged. As a matter of fact, I was loathing him before."
"Both sentiments, let me tell you, are entirely reciprocated," said Stephen, grinning.
"I'm afraid," said Joseph sadly, "that you haven't learnt yet, my dear, what it is to care for someone."
"Oh gosh, yes, I have. I've been simply madly in love often and often. I mean, utterly over at the knees!" Valerie told him.
"Young people nowadays," pronounced Maud, "do not attach so much importance to engagements as they did when I was a girl. It was considered to be very fast to be engaged more than once."
"How quaint!" said Valerie. "I expect I shall be engaged dozens of times."
"Well, when you get married, I will give you a handsome wedding present," said Stephen.
"Oh, Stephen, you are a lamb! I do hope they don't go and convict you!" said Valerie, with a naive sincerity that robbed her words of offence.
She then settled down to flirt with Roydon, in which agreeable occupation she was uninterrupted until her mother came into the room, radiating brassy goodhumour and a somewhat overpowering scent.