** For authors notes, disclaimer etc. see chapter 1

Who done it 3/?

"If you laugh I'm going home right now. I don't care if she puts me on traffic duty for the rest of my life for it I swear." James sighed walking into the drawing room of the house where Robbie was standing by the fire.

"She couldn't demote both of us could she? Let's make a run for it." He replied as they stared at each other for a second taking in the ridiculousness of each other's outfits. "Where are they anyway? We were told to be down here for eight why can't women ever be on bloody time?"

"You tell me, can you believe any of this? I mean what the hell? We…" James continued his words stopping in his throat as Jean and Laura walked through the door.

"On second thoughts maybe staying won't be so bad after all they look fantastic clearly we got the short end of the costume stick!" Robbie whispered before James could continue.

"Ladies and Gentlemen nice to see you all looking so well and that all your costumes fit. As you'll have deduced I'm sure since you are all police officers…."

"Not all of us." Laura interrupted smiling as the others laughed. "Some of us deal with the bodies rather than those who killed them."

"Sorry well anyway my name is Henderson and I'll be your butler for the weekend. It would be appreciated if you all remembered to stay in character during activities such as those tonight. Dinner will be served in thirty minutes in the mean time I will be around to keep you supplied with drinks and anything else you might need.

Watching as the man she now knew for definite was destined to be their victim Jean straightened a little tucking her hair behind one ear as she saw James walk toward her.

"Lady Veronica you're looking particularly stunning tonight." James said quietly deciding that if he was going to be allowed to openly flirt with her he might as well make the most of it. She did look stunning and it was becoming very hard for him to ignore the way the midnight blue dress hugged her hips and the small glimpse of naked shoulder he could see under the fur wrap.

"Thank you Sebastian." Jean replied turning her back and attempting to ignore him as per her instructions but finding it even harder than she'd imagined it would be as she felt his gaze still on her back. Trying to move away she caught his gaze challenging him to keep trying her patience as he stepping in front of her smiling again.

"Don't ignore me I want to talk. I think we need to talk. You can't spend the whole weekend pretending I'm hot here we need to talk about what's …"

"We have nothing to talk about Sebastian." She said quietly turning on her heels and staring at him pulling on every ounce of acting talent she believed she might have as she stepped toward him looking him straight in the eye. "And yes if necessary I can and will ignore you for the entire weekend if that's what it takes to get through to you."

Turning again and walking away Jean let out the breath she'd been holding and allowed herself a small smile of triumph. She was proud of how she'd managed to handle the scene one she was sure would be the first of many but which she now found herself looking forward to.

"Drink your ladyship?" She heard the butler say quietly when she had reached the other side of the room and realised in her haste to get away from James she'd managed to isolate herself with the one person in the room no one wanted to be seen talking to.

"Thank you Henderson." She replied taking the champagne flute off the tray in his hand and trying to move around him only to find him deliberately blocking her way.

"I see young Mr Fleming-Rodgers is quite determined to get your ladyship's full attention. Clearly he considers it worth his while to pursue you based on past experience. You know discretion is the watch word at Marsden Manor and the staff, myself included, can be relied upon to ensure that what goes on under this room stays under this roof."

"I don't know what you're insinuating Henderson." Jean replied feeling herself bristle at the suggestion being made in his tone in spite of the fact she knew he was as likely to have been scripted to say it as she'd been to react to it. She found herself actually feeling the indignation she was sure her character would feel it the situation were real as she finally broke away and joined the others in the chairs surrounding the fireplace.

"It's a beautiful house." Laura smiled sitting a little too close to James on the sofa as Jean and Robbie took the wing chairs on either side of the fireplace. She'd been carefully watching the short exchange between Jean and James and the subsequent one between Jean and the butler and was sure now was time to start on the mission she'd been given. "You know there's a huge four poster in my bedroom complete with drapes and everything." She continued directing her comment at James as she saw his eyes flit from her to Jean and back again.

"Really?" James ask letting his hand rest on Laura's knee ignoring the daggers that were shooting in his direction from Robbie and instead focusing on the equally venomous look being thrown his way by Jean. He had to hand it to her she was a much better actress than he'd ever have given her credit for. Either that or she was genuinely jealous a thought he tried to push to the back of his mind and focus on what he had to do.

"Well Ms Le' qua I think you'll find some of us not so easily swayed by opulence. Then again it's clearly a case of what one is used to from one's surroundings." Jean interrupted before he had a chance to speak again causing the two women to engage in a momentary stare off before Laura looked back at him and smiled.

"Well Lady Veronica." She replied not taking her eyes from James's as she spoke. "Maybe some of us still have an appreciation for attractiveness in all it's forms whether that be in exquisitely ornate furniture or the perfectly sculpted human form. Personally I thought this weekend was going to be rather tedious now though I'm not so sure."

"Well I can't say I was particularly looking forward to it myself." James said quietly playing along and finding himself enjoying doing so as again he observed Jean shift in her seat. "But as you say things may have just taken a turn for the better."

"Sebastian how about a game of billiards before dinner?" Robbie interrupted nodding toward the table at the far end of the room as all eyes turned to him. "Build up and appetite and all that."

Smiling at James as he got up and glaring pointedly at Jean as she also got up Laura moved to the side of the fire watching the logs crackle as they broke in the flames.

"Excuse me Ms Le' qua." Henderson said quietly breaking her from her contemplation as he lifted two new logs from the basket beside the fire and placed them on it. "Forgive my impertinence madam but haven't we met before? Possibly at one of my previous positions?"

"I can't think where." Laura replied giving him an icy stare and about to walk away when she felt his hand resting gently on her arm as she saw Jean watching their exchange." To Henderson I don't think it's advisable to manhandle a guest."

"I beg your pardon madam it's just that I'm sure I saw you when I worked for the Blythe's 20 maybe 25 years ago. Their niece came to stay she'd got herself in rather a situation with her family's under butler. Stayed a good eight or nine months you do bear a striking resemblance to the young woman." The butler replied removing his hand and nodding as he left her alone again and she cringed slightly as Jean headed her way.

"You know when I was serving on the western front." Robbie said, pulling on everything he could remember from school history once he and James were alone again. "it was very easy for the young men on leave to get a little carried away with the local girls, get a little over familiar if you know what I mean. Over step the mark."

"No colonel I have no idea what you mean do enlighten me." James replied enjoying a little too much Robbie's obvious discomfort.

"Well it's a poor show for a man like yourself to be attempting to make unwanted advances toward a woman like Lady Veronica." Robbie continued vowing that he would make James pay for the amused eyebrow raise his Agatha Christie style language has elicited. "And as for Ms Le' qua you really shouldn't be encouraging her to make such a spectacle of herself. It's just not on for a man particularly one of you status to be so blatantly playing one woman off against the other. It has to stop."

"And what Colonel do you suppose gives you the right to declare yourself guardian of our female companions? I can't imagine either of them asked a washed up ex-soldier with wandering hands and clearly lecherous intentions to undertake such a task." James replied setting the billiard cue down, drawing himself up to his full height and trying to muster as much indignation as anyone could when wearing a crushed velvet suit. "I think you'll find they are both more than capable of defending their own honour and should they find they're not I don't suppose you would be their first choice to do it for them."

"Now boys try to play nice." Laura interrupted leaning back on the billiard table and capturing Robbie in her most seductive gaze as James saw his means of escape.

Making a beeline for Jean to continue his pestering mission he was stopped on route as the butler stepped in front of him holding out the drinks tray.

"Do have another drink sir." Henderson said firmly refusing to let James pass. "You know sire it doesn't do, as I'm the colonel just told you, to make advances toward a lady such as Ms Le' qua when it is clearly distressing for her ladyship."

"Henderson I don't feel it's your place to comment on the private lives of guests and even if it where you are not in a position to know anything about my relationship with any other the others." James replied trying not to be distracted by the sight of Jean silhouetted against the light from the fire.

"Obviously sir but gossip does permeate form one house to another and between domestic staff. You wouldn't want your feelings for her ladyship to become part of the rumour mill it may make things very difficult for you. Here of course we are the souls of discretion but these rumours will get started."

Opening his mouth to reply James realised the butler had not waited for an answer but instead was making his way to the other side of the room where Robbie and Laura were deep in conversation. Glancing back at Jean he allowed himself to indulge for a second in watching her as she seemed lost in contemplation. The way the fire seemed to be highlighting the colour of her eyes and gave her skin a soft glow was captivating and something he could stare at for hours were it not for the fact he had become aware again of the butler's eyes on him.

"That's a fascinating story Colonel." Laura said as sweetly as she could muster taking a step back as Robbie played what she knew was his role to perfection and closed the distance between them again.

"Well you don't need to go throwing yourself at that young upstart Fleming-Rodgers you know what you really need is a fella who's been around the world and really lived." Robbie replied hating his own smarminess as Laura again stepped away from him.

"Yes I'm all too aware of the many, many place's you've been." She said quietly "I know several women who could testify to your worldliness."

"Excuse me Ms Le' qua, colonel dinner is being served no in the dining room." Henderson interrupted before Robbie had a chance to reply.

"Thank you Henderson." Laura smiled stepping away from both men as Robbie tried to follow but was blocked on his way.

"You don't seem to remember me sir." Henderson said quietly as the room began to empty and Robbie saw James glance back at them. "Private Henderson we served together in…"

"Yes, yes of course." He lied trying again to step past the butler but failing.

"Well I'm glad you remember sir, I certainly remember you. I've had the privilege of attending some of your public lectures also. I'd recommend them to some of our comrades but I'm not sure Colonel Symington would have found it so entertaining. He may have felt compelled to tell people the real reason you left active service."

"I don't think that information would be in anyone best interests should it be in the public domain." Robbie replied his eyes narrowing as the butler walked away toward the dining room leaving him alone.

"They're all in the dining room ready for the first course." Henderson said a few moments later as he arrived back into the kitchen and several waiters nodded before leaving with plates and serving dishes.

"How is it looking? Are they playing along?" Mrs Montgomery asked handing him a cup of coffee before sitting beside him.

"Yeah better than I was expecting then too but I'll tell you something, there's enough sexual tension flying around that room to power a small country."

"Is there now? That should make for an interesting evening."

"Oh yes." Henderson agreed winking at her as he drained the cup and headed out of the room pausing as he went. "The after dinner drinks should be very entertaining I think we can expect fireworks."