The Stowmarket Mystery | Page 6

used to call her Rita because, as
boys, we teased her by saying her name was Margharita, and not
Margaret"
"Why?"
"She has such a foreign manner and style." "How did she acquire
them?"
"She was a big girl, six years old, and tall for her age, when her parents
settled down in England. She first spoke Italian, and picked up Italian
ways from her nurse, an old party who was devotedly attached to her.
Even Alan was a good Italian linguist, and given to foreign manners
when a little chap. But Harrow soon knocked them out of him. Rita
retained them."
"I see. A curious household. I should have expected this young lady to
upbraid her brother after the style of the prima donna in grand opera."
"No. He told me she laughed at him, and invited him to witness the
trying on of a fancy dress costume, the 'Queen of Night,' which she
wore at a bal masqué the night he was murdered."
"When did she get married?"
"Last January, at Naples, very suddenly, and without the knowledge of
any of her relatives."
"She had been living at Beechcroft nearly a year, then?"
"Yes, she went South in the winter. The reason she gave was that the
Hall would be depressing on the anniversary of her brother's death. She
had become most popular in the district. Helen is very fond of her, and
was quite shocked to hear of her marriage. The local people do not like
Signor Capella."
"Why?"
"It is difficult to give a reason. Miss Layton does not indulge in details,

but that is the impression I gather from her letters."
Hume paused, and Brett shot a quick glance at him.
"Finish what you were going to say," he said.
"Only this--Helen and I have mutually released each other from our
engagement, and in the same breath have refused to be released. That is,
if you understand--"
The barrister nodded.
"The result is that we are both thoroughly miserable. Our respective
fathers do not like the idea of our marriage under the circumstances.
We are simply drifting in the feeble hope that some day a kindly
Providence will dissipate the cloud that hangs over me. Ah, Mr. Brett, I
am a rich man. Command the limits of my fortune, but clear me. Prove
to Helen that her faith in my innocence is justified."
"For goodness' sake light another cigarette," snapped the barrister.
"You have interfered with my line of thought. It is all wriggly."
Quite a minute elapsed before he began again.
"What caused the trouble at Mrs. Eastham's ball?"
"I think I can explain that. It seems that Alan's father told him to get
married--"
"Told him!"
"Well, left instructions."
"How?"
"I do not know. I only gathered as much from my cousin's remarks.
Well, it was not until his final home-coming that he realised what a
beautiful woman the jolly little girl he knew as a boy had developed
into. She was just the kind of wife he wanted, and I fancy he imagined I

had stolen a march on him. But he was a thoroughly straightforward,
manly fellow, and something very much out of the common must have
upset him before he vented his anger on me and Helen."
"Have you any notion--"
"Not the least. Pardon me. I suppose you were going to ask if I guessed
the cause?"
"Yes."
"It is quite unfathomable. We parted the best of friends in London,
although he knew all about the engagement. We met again at 6 p.m. on
New Year's Eve, and he was very short with me. I can only vaguely
assume that some feeling of resentment had meanwhile been working
up in him, and it found expression during his chat with Helen in the
conservatory."
"Did you use threats to him during the subsequent wrangle?"
"Threats! Good gracious, no. I was angry with him for spoiling Miss
Layton's enjoyment. I called him an ass, and said that he had better
have remained away another year than come back and make mischief.
That is all. Mrs. Eastham was far more outspoken."
"Indeed. What did she say?"
"She hinted that his temper was a reminiscence of his Southern birth,
always a sore point with him, and contrasted me with him, to his
disadvantage. All very unfair, of course, but, you see, she was the
hostess, and Alan had upset her party very much."
"So you walked home, and resolved to hold out the olive branch?"
"Most decidedly. I was older, perhaps a trifle more sedate. I knew that
Helen loved me. There were no difficulties in the way of our marriage,
which was arranged for the following spring. Indeed, my second trial
took place on the very date we had selected. It was my duty