"Yes," she said faintly. "I feel — a little sick. Arthur… I went into the study… Arthur is there — dead."
"Dead?" The shocked cry came from Fay.
Mrs. Twining moistened her lips. "Murdered!" she said. She took a step forward, putting out her hand to grasp a chair back, and they saw that her glove was wet with blood.
Chapter Six
For a moment no one moved or spoke. Then Stephen Guest broke the startled silence. "Dinah, look after Fay," he said, and strode past Mr. Twining to the window.
"I'll come with you," Halliday said, in a queer, strangled voice. As he brushed by her chair he heard his wife stammer: "But who — Oh, it's too awful! I don't believe it!"
Finch was just coming out of the dining-room when the two men crossed the hall. Guest said: "There's been some kind of an accident, Finch. You'd better come along."
The butler laid down the tray he was carrying. "An accident, sir? I hope not Mr Geoffrey, sir?"
"No. Sir Arthur," replied Guest, walking towards the study door.
It was shut, just as it had been all the morning. He opened it, and went in.