‘For what reason do you wish to see me?’ he inquired coldly.
Poirot was sitting opposite him. His back was to the window. The Duke was facing it.
‘I am at present engaged on investigating the circumstances connected with Lord Edgware’s death.’
Not a muscle of the weak but obstinate face moved.
‘Indeed? I was not acquainted with him.’
‘But you are, I think, acquainted with his wife—with Miss Jane Wilkinson?’
‘That is so.’
‘You are aware that she is supposed to have had a strong motive for desiring the death of her husband?’
‘I am really not aware of anything of the kind.’
‘I should like to ask you outright, Your Grace. Are you shortly going to marry Miss Jane Wilkinson?’
‘When I am engaged to marry anyone the fact will be announced in the newspapers. I consider your question an impertinence.’ He stood up. ‘Good morning.’
Poirot stood up also. He looked awkward. He hung his head. He stammered.
‘I did not mean…I…Je vous demande pardon…’
‘Good morning,’ repeated the Duke, a little louder.
This time Poirot gave it up. He made a characteristic gesture of hopelessness, and we left. It was an ignominious dismissal.
I felt rather sorry for Poirot. His usual bombast had not gone well. To the Duke of Merton a great detective was evidently lower than a black beetle.
‘That didn’t go too well,’ I said sympathetically. ‘What a stiff-necked tartar that man is. What did you really want to see him for?’
‘I wanted to know whether he and Jane Wilkinson are really going to marry.’
‘She said so.’
‘Ah! she said so. But, you realize, she is one of those who say anything that suits their purpose. She might have decided to marry him and he—poor man—might not yet be aware of the fact.’
‘Well, he certainly sent you away with a flea in the ear.’
‘He gave me the reply he would give to a reporter—yes.’ Poirot chuckled. ‘But I know! I know exactly how the case stands.’
‘How do you know? By his manner?’
‘Not at all. You saw he was writing a letter?’
‘Yes.’
‘Eh bien, in my early days in the police force in Belgium I learned that it was very useful to read handwriting upside down. Shall I tell you what he was saying in that letter? “My dearest Jane, my adored, my beautiful angel, how can I tell you what you are to me? You who have suffered so much! Your beautiful nature—”’
‘Poirot!’ I cried, scandalized, stopping him.
‘That was as far as he had got. “Your beautiful nature—only I know it.”’
I felt very upset. He was so naively pleased with his performance.
‘Poirot,’ I cried. ‘You can’t do a thing like that. Overlook a private letter.’
‘You say the imbecilities, Hastings. Absurd to say I “cannot do” a thing which I have just done!’
‘It’s not—not playing the game.’
‘I do not play games. You know that. Murder is not a game. It is serious. And anyway, Hastings, you should not use that phrase—playing the game. It is not said any more. I have discovered that. It is dead. Young people laugh when they hear it. Mais oui, young beautiful girls will laugh at you if you say “playing the game” and “not cricket”.’
I was silent. I could not bear this thing that Poirot had done so light-heartedly.
‘It was so unnecessary,’ I said. ‘If you had only told him that you had gone to Lord Edgware at Jane Wilkinson’s request, then he would have treated you very differently.’
‘Ah! but I couldn’t do that. Jane Wilkinson was my client. I cannot speak of my client’s affairs to another. I undertake a mission in confidence. To speak of it would not be honourable.’
‘Honourable!’
‘Precisely.’
‘But she’s going to marry him?’
‘That does not mean that she has no secrets from him. Your ideas about marriage are very old-fashioned. No, what you suggest, I couldn’t possibly have done. I have my honour as a detective to think of. The honour, it is a very serious thing.’
‘Well, I suppose it takes all kinds of honour to make a world.’
Chapter 19
A Great Lady