“I have no doubt he was in a very dangerous humour,” agreed the Beau. “It has always been a source of wonderment to me how you persuaded him to relinquish his purpose and return home.”
“I promised to see Plunkett in his stead,” replied Shield. “Like a fool I let him take the path through the spinney.”
“My dear fellow, no one could have expected you to have foreseen that Plunkett would return by that path,” said the Beau gently.
“On the contrary, if he came from Slaugham it was the most natural way for him to take,” retorted Shield.: ’And we knew he was riding, not driving.”
“So what happened?” breathed Eustacie.
It was Shield who answered her. “Ludovic rode back through the Longshaw Spinney, while I went on towards Furze House. Not ten minutes after we had parted I heard a shot fired in the distance. At the time I made nothing of it: it might have been a poacher. Next morning Plunkett’s body was discovered in the spinney with a shot through the heart, and a crumpled handkerchief of Ludovic’s lying beside it.”
“And the ring?” Eustacie said quickly.
“The ring was gone,” said Shield. “There was money in Plunkett’s pockets, and a diamond pin in his cravat, but of the talisman ring no sign.”
“And it has never been seen since,” added the Beau.
“By us, no!” said Sir Tristram.