The Stowmarket Mystery | Page 3

was impaled
on a hidden stake, placed in the stream by his own orders to prevent
poachers from netting trout. His wife, née Somers, a Bristol family, had
pre-deceased him.
"There were two children, a daughter, Margaret, aged twenty-five, and
a son, Alan, aged twenty-three. By his will, Sir Alan left all his real and
personal estate to his son, with a life charge of £1,000 per annum for
the daughter. As he was a very wealthy man, almost a millionaire, the
provision for his daughter was niggardly, which might be accounted for
by the fact that the girl, several years before her father's death,
quarrelled with him and left home, residing in London and in Florence.
Both children, by the way, were born in Italy, where Sir Alan met and
married Miss Somers.
"The old gentleman, it appeared, allowed Miss Hume-Frazer £5,000 per
annum during his life. His son voluntarily continued this allowance, but
the brother and sister continued to live apart, he devoted to travel and
sport, she to music and art, with a leaning towards the occult--a woman
divorced from conventionality and filled with a hatred of restraint.
"Beechcroft, the family residence, is situated four miles from
Stowmarket, close to the small village of Sleagill. After his father's
death, the young Sir Alan went for a protracted tour round the world.
Meanwhile his first cousin, Mr. David Hume-Frazer, lived at
Beechcroft during the shooting season, and incidentally fell in love
with Miss Helen Layton, daughter of the rector of Sleagill, the Rev.
Wilberforce Layton."
Hume stirred uneasily in his chair, and the barrister paused, expecting
him to say something. But the other only gasped brokenly: "Go on; go
on!"
"Love lasts longer than death or crime," mused Brett.

He continued:
"In eighteen months Sir Alan the fifth--all heirs had same
name--returned to Beechcroft, about Christmas. His cousin had been
called away on family business, but returned for a New Year's Eve ball,
given by Mrs. Eastham, a lady of some local importance. Sir Alan and
Helen Layton had followed the hounds together three times during
Christmas week. They were, of course, old friends.
"David sent from Scotland--his father's estate was situated close to
Inverness--some presents to his future wife, his cousin, and others. The
gift to Sir Alan was noteworthy and fatalistic--a handsomely inlaid
Japanese sword, with a small dagger inserted in a sheath near the top of
the scabbard. David reached Beechcroft on the day of the ball.
Relations between the cousins seemed to the servants to be cool,
though the coolness lay rather with the baronet, and David, a year older,
it may be here stated, was evidently taken by surprise by Sir Alan's
attitude.
"The three young people went to the ball, and shortly after midnight
there was something in the nature of a scene. Sir Alan had been
dancing with Miss Layton. They were in the conservatory when the
young lady burst into tears, hurried to find David, and asked him to
take her at once to her carriage. Mrs. Eastham was acting as chaperon
to the girl, and some heated words passed between her and the two
young men.
"Evidence showed that Sir Alan had bitterly upbraided Miss Layton on
account of her engagement, and hinted that David had taken an unfair
advantage of his (Alan's) absence to win her affections. This was
absolutely untrue. It was denied by the two most concerned, and by
Mrs. Eastham, who, as a privileged friend, knew all the facts. The
young men were in a state of white heat, but David sensibly withdrew,
and walked to the Hall.
"Mrs. Eastham's house was close to the lodge gates, and from the lodge
a straight yew-shaded drive led to the library windows, the main
entrance being at the side of the house.

"In the library a footman, on duty in the room, maintained a good fire,
and the French windows were left unfastened, as the young gentlemen
would probably enter the house that way. David did, in fact, do so. The
footman quitted the room, and a few minutes later the butler appeared.
He was an old favourite of David's. He asked if he should send some
whisky and soda.
"The young man agreed, adding:
"'Sir Alan and I have commenced the year badly, Ferguson. We
quarrelled over a silly mistake. I have made up my mind not to sleep on
it, so I will await his arrival. Let me know if he comes in the other
way.'
"The butler hoped that the matter was not a serious one.
"'Under other circumstances it might be,' was the answer, 'but as things
are, it is simply a wretched mistake, which a little reasonable
discussion will put right.'
"The footman brought the whisky and soda.
"Twenty minutes later he re-entered the