Darcy, Lord (Fictitious character) -- Fiction; Detective and mystery stories; Fantasy fiction; Magic -- Fiction
Lady Duncan was, for the most part, silent. In the past fifteen
minutes, since she and her husband had come to the informal tea, she
had spoken scarcely a dozen words. Her face was masklike, but there
was the same look of haggardness about her eyes as there was in her
husband's face. But the priest's emphatic sense told him that the
emotion here was fear, simple and direct. His keen eyes had noticed
that she wore a shade too much make-up. She had almost succeeded in
covering up the faint bruise on her right cheek, but not completely.
My lady the Countess D'Evreux was all sadness and unhappiness, but
there was neither fear nor evil there. She smiled politely and talked
quietly. Father Bright would have been willing to bet that not one of
the four of them would remember a word that had been spoken.
Father Bright had placed his chair so that he could keep an eye on the
open doorway and the long hall that led in from the Great Keep. He
hoped Lord Darcy would hurry. Neither of the guests had been told that
the Duke's Investigator was here, and Father Bright was just a little
apprehensive about the meeting. The Duncans had not even been told
that the Count's death had been murder, but he was certain that they
knew.
Father Bright saw Lord Darcy come in through the door at the far end
of the hall. He murmured a polite excuse and rose. The other three
accepted his excuses with the same politeness and went on with their
talk. Father Bright met Lord Darcy in the hall.
"Did you find what you were looking for, Lord Darcy?" the priest asked
in a low tone.
"Yes," Lord Darcy said. "I'm afraid we shall have to arrest Laird
Duncan."
"Murder?"
"Perhaps. I'm not yet certain of that. But the charge will be black
magic. He has all the paraphernalia in a chest in his room. Master
Sean reports that a ritual was enacted in the bedroom last night. Of
course, that's out of my jurisdiction. You, as a representative of the
Church, will have to be the arresting officer." He paused. "You don't
seem surprised, Reverence."
"I'm not," Father Bright admitted. "I felt it. You and Master Sean
will have to make out a sworn deposition before I can act."
"I understand. Can you do me a favor?"
"If I can."
"Get my lady the Countess out of the room on some pretext or other.
Leave me alone with her guests. I do not wish to upset my lady any
more than absolutely necessary."
"I think I can do that. Shall we go in together?"
"Why not? But don't mention why I am here. Let them assume I am just
another guest."
"Very well."
* * * * *
All three occupants of the room glanced up as Father Bright came in
with Lord Darcy. The introductions were made: Lord Darcy humbly begged
the pardon of his hostess for his lateness. Father Bright noticed the
same sad smile on Lord Darcy's handsome face as the others were
wearing.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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