Ludovic had averted his face, but he turned his head at that. ‘If you have not got it who has?’ he said wearily.
‘I don’t know, but I’ll do my best to find out,’ replied Shield.
Eustacie drew a deep breath. ‘I see that I have misjudged you, Cousin Tristram,’ she said handsomely. ‘One must make reparation, enfin. I will marry you.’
‘Thank you,’ said Sir Tristram, ‘but the matter does not call for such a sacrifice as that, I assure you.’ He saw a certain raptness steal into her eyes, and added: ‘Don’t waste time picturing yourself in the rôle of a martyred bride, I beg of you! I haven’t the smallest desire to marry you.’
Eustacie frowned. ‘But you must have an –’
‘Yes, we won’t go into that again,’ he said hastily.
‘And I think,’ continued Eustacie, visibly attracted by the vision of herself as a martyred bride, ‘that perhaps it is my duty to marry you.’
Ludovic raised his head from the pillows. ‘Well, you can’t marry him. I’m the head of the family now, and I forbid it.’
‘Oh, very well!’ submitted Eustacie. ‘I dare say I should not like always to be a sacrifice, after all.’
‘Am I to understand,’ inquired Miss Thane, ‘that Sir Tristram is to become one of us? If you are satisfied he is not the villain it is not for me to raise objections, of course, but I must say I am disappointed. We shall have to remake our plans.’
‘Yes, we shall,’ agreed Eustacie. ‘And that reminds me that if Tristram truly did not steal Ludovic’s ring, there is not any need for me to marry him. I had forgotten.’
Sir Tristram looked rather startled, observing which, Miss Thane said kindly: ‘You must know that we had it all fixed that Eustacie was to marry you so as to be able to search in your collection for the missing ring.’
‘What a splendid notion, to be sure!’ said Sir Tristram sardonically.
‘Yes, it was, wasn’t it?’ said Eustacie. ‘But now we do not know who is the villain, so it is of no use.’
Ludovic was watching Shield intently. ‘Tristram, you know something!’
Shield glanced down at him. ‘No. But Plunkett was shot by someone who wanted the talisman ring and only that. If you were not the man I know of only one other who could have done it.’
Ludovic raised himself slightly, staring at his cousin with knit brows. ‘My God, but he believed me! He was the only one who believed me!’
‘So implicitly,’ said Shield, ‘that he advised you to face your trial – with evidence enough against you to hang you twice over! Have you never wondered why he did that?’
Ludovic made a gesture as though brushing it aside. ‘Oh, I guessed he would be glad to step into my shoes, but damme, he would not run the risk of committing murder – he of all men!’
Eustacie gave a joyful shriek. ‘Basil!’ she exclaimed, clapping her hands together. ‘Yes, yes, of a certainty it was he! Why did I not think of that before? Miss Thane, it is my cousin Basil who is the villain, and although you do not know him I assure you it is much, much better, because he wears a silly hat, and I do not at all like him!’
‘Oh well, in that case I am perfectly willing to have him for the villain in Sir Tristram’s place,’ said Sarah. ‘I did not like to seem to criticize your choice, but to tell you the truth, Sir Tristram is not sinister enough for my taste.’
Sir Tristram looked a little amused. Ludovic said: ‘Wait, Eustacie, wait! This is not certain! Let me think!’
‘But there is not any need to think, mon cousin. It is clear to me that Basil is the man, because he wants very much to be Lord Lavenham, and besides, there is no one else.’
‘I can’t believe he’d put his neck in such jeopardy!’ Ludovic said. ‘When did the Beau ever court a risk?’
; ‘Whoever did it, Ludovic, was able to obtain a handkerchief of yours to leave beside the body,’ Shield reminded him. ‘He must also have known that Plunkett was dining at Slaugham that evening, and guessed at least that he would return by the path through the Longshaw Spinney.’
‘Yes, but to plan a cold-blooded murder just to dispose of me, and then pretend belief in my story – No, surely he could not do it!’
‘Hush!’ said Miss Thane impressively. ‘The whole affair is becoming as clear as daylight to me. He did not plan it; I dare say he never went beyond wishing that some accident would befall Ludovic – oh, I beg your pardon! – befall Lord Lavenham –’
‘“Ludovic” will do,’ interposed his lordship, grinning up at her. ‘I count you as quite one of the family.’
‘I wish you may, for I assure you I regard myself as irrevocably bound to this adventure. Do not interrupt me! Let us say that he thought quite idly how fortunate it would be if Ludovic met with an accident. He would not dare to contrive one, for being the next in succession suspicion might fall on him. Well, then, Ludovic lost his talisman ring, and Basil saw – No, I am wrong! At first he saw nothing. But Ludovic began to play into his hands – really, Ludovic, I believe it was all your fault: you tempted Basil beyond what he could resist.’