Page 64 of Murder in Highbury

“It would seem that I was.”

“Emma . . .”

She sat up to meet his gaze. “George, I didn’t intend to eavesdrop. It just rather happened.”

“Such things seem to happen to you on a regular basis,” he dryly replied.

“I was actually looking for you. I thought perhaps you’d taken some of the guests down the lime walk. And I also had themostdisconcerting conversation with Harriet. But Mr. Elton takes precedence.”

“I await both reports with bated breath.”

She poked his chest. “None of your sarcasm, sir. When I was looking for you, I chanced to hear a very unpleasant argument between Mr. Elton and Mr. Suckling. At one point, I feared they might even come to blows.”

George frowned. “Mr. Suckling is not the most convivial person, but I always assumed they had a good relationship.”

“Apparently, no longer. And the subject of the argument was Mrs. Elton.”

He studied her for a few moments. “As loathe as I am to violate Elton’s privacy, I suppose you’d best tell me.”

“Youarethe magistrate, George. You should know everything that might be of relevance to the investigation.”

Although he now rolled his eyes, he didn’t dispute the point.

But when she related the details of the tense discussion, he frowned. “Emma, are you suggesting that Elton cannot afford a proper memorial?”

“I had the sense that such might be the case. Although Mr. Elton claimed the lack of room in the church as the reason for declining such an expense.”

“I’ll admit the church has a substantive number of memorials, but I’m sure room could be found to give Mrs. Elton a proper memorial stone, at the very least.”

“Then why would he make such a claim?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know. Mrs. Elton brought a substantial sum of money to the marriage, and Elton already had his own independence. Although not large, it was perfectly sufficient for his needs.”

“True, but they were inclined to spend rather freely.”

“Unless one or both had become addicted to cards, it’s hard to imagine how they could run through her fortune in less than a year. And although Mrs. Elton could be a spendthrift, Elton is not. The man is very aware of the value of money.”

“Yes, as I discovered, to my misfortune.”

“My love, I am certain that Elton’s marriage proposal to you had nothing to do with your fortune and everything to do with your beauty and wit.”

Emma didn’t fail to notice the gleam of amusement in his gaze. “Nicely done, Mr. Knightley.”

“I do try. Now, what was Suckling’s response to his brother-in-law’s parsimony?”

“He was adamant that the cost of a proper memorial was Mr. Elton’s responsibility. Our vicar then tried to make the case that Mrs. Elton would not have wished for anything grand—given her well-known abhorrence of finery, you understand.”

George snorted. “No doubt Suckling wasn’t convinced by that line of argument.”

“He was not.”

“And I cannot but agree with him that it’s Elton’s responsibility.”

“True, but Mr. Elton seemed to suggest Mr. Suckling was somehow responsible for his—or Mrs. Elton’s—financial problems.” She twirled a hand. “That’s assuming they actually had problems. Mr. Suckling seemed very insulted by the suggestion and said Mr. Elton was talking nonsense. He refused to discuss it any further, which was most annoying.”

“What a shame you didn’t think to ask the gentlemen to clarify their remarks.”

She eyed him with severity. “Be serious, George.”