"No," said Mrs. Twining. "I heard no sound at all in the study."
"And when you left the hall, you went straight out on to the terrace? Can you remember who was there?"
She thought for a moment. "Certainly Miss Fawcett," she said. "Ah yes! Mrs. Halliday also, and Mr. Guest."
"You are sure that there was no one else, Mrs. Twining?"
"Not when I first arrived," she answered. "Miss Fawcett and I strolled to the rose-garden to find Lady Billington-Smith, who, however, was in the vegetable-garden. She joined us on the lawn as we were returning to the terrace."
"Had anyone else come on to the terrace by that time?"
"No. I remember thinking how bored Mrs. Halliday appeared to be with Mr. Guest's sole company."
Harding made another note. "Now, Mrs. Twining, can you recall just when the other members of the party joined you? It is rather important, so please take your time."
She sat for a minute in silence, absently regarding the Sergeant. "Mrs. Chudleigh," she said presently. "She arrived almost immediately after we — Miss Fawcett, Lady Billington-Smith, and myself had come back to the terrace. She wanted a subscription for some charity. Mr. Halliday was the last to put in an appearance. He came out of the billiard-room a few minutes later."
"When you say a few minutes, Mrs. Twining, does that mean five? — ten? — fifteen?"