“Towards the hall. He was only a second or two. He came into the d-drawing-room just after we did.”
“And did you all stay in the drawing-room until Lady Charles came?”
“Yes,” said the twins together.
“I see. That pretty well covers the ground. One more question, and I think I may put it to both of you. You’ll understand that we wouldn’t ask it unless we felt that it was entirely relevant. What impression did you get of Lady Wutherwood during the afternoon?”
“Mad,” said the twins together.
“In the strict sense of the word?”
“Yes,” said Colin. “We all thought so. Mad.”
“I see,” said Alleyn again. “That’s all, I think. Thank you.”
II
When the twins reappeared in the drawing-room Roberta thought they had a slightly attenuated and shivery air, rather as if they had been efficiently purged by Nanny. They looked coldly at the rest of their family, walked to the sofa and collapsed on it.