WHAT THE BUTLER SAW ......
THE DAYS OF WINE AND ROSÉ
PART THE SECOND
"Not in so many words," replied the impenetrable narrator. "I was merely recalling an unpleasant scene inadvertently overheard and overviewed by myself earlier this evening."
Zelda impatiently asked "And .... what did you see?"
"Well, I don't like to tell tales out of school, if you catch my meaning, mum," prevaricated the embarrassed envoy, "but earlier this evening, whilst I was polishing the ancestral armor in this hallway, which rendered my form hidden to a casual observer that might chance to stroll through the hallway -- it was dark due to the power outage too -- as I was saying, whilst engaged in pewter polishing activities ..."
"Enough!" screamed Zelda. "Assez tergiversé, passons aux choses sérieuses !"
"Get to the point man! Who, err whom, did you see? Doing what? To whom?" "And why?"
"Why, pshrynk was having a spirited discussion with ravenne, very near where he is lying right now. I couldn't clearly hear what the topic being discussed entailed, but I clearly discerned ravenne's arm raised several times. She seemed to be holding a bottle of red wine -- I could just make out the color when the lightning illuminated the window behind them."
Jeeves paused thoughtfully a moment, and then resumed "All I could understand was a few of the more loudly enunciated phrases from ravenne; pshrynk tended to look down and mumble."
After another lengthy pause, Zelda demanded "Well, just what did you think you heard?"
Jeeves sorrowfully shook his head of sleekly oiled hair and replied "I wouldn't want to have to swear to this in court, mum"
"Does it look like we're in court now?" shrieked an exasperated Zelda. "Out with it man! Tu te fiches de moi, c'est
maintenant que tu te décides de la fermer ?"
"Well mum, recognizing that I regrettably cannot be 100% positive, I believe I heard ravenne repeatedly use the phrase 'you'll be sorry' and perhaps a fragment that sounded like 'get even' -- but these are only my imperfect aural interpretations."
"I was then summoned away from the scene by hearing Colonel Alex's bell. Realizing that my impertinent interest in this fracas had made me tardy in bringing the Colonel's hot toddy up to the study, I hastened toward the stairs. An unnaturally loud exclamation from ravenne caused me to turn round on the stairs. My last sight of pshrynk alive was framed by a lightning back-drop, with ravenne front and center brandishing the bottle of red wine."
Recounting this painful scene deeply affected Jeeves, who was so overcome with emotion that he had to use his gleaming white handkerchief to discreetly dab away an errant tear trying to course down a sallow cheek.
Zelda's heightened powers of observation instantly noted the small reddish stain on the corner of Jeeves' hanky.
"Tiens tiens ! ça serait pas le début d'une piste que je vois, enfin ?"
Before she could investigate this tell-tale stain, Jeeves pocketed the cloth and inquired: "Shall I conduct you to interview ravenne? I believe she is still on the premises."
Zelda accepted the invitation and accompanied Jeeves back up the staircase, still clutching the sodden paperback.
[Will Zelda's relentless questioning elicit a confession?]
[Or will she be thrown out for being nosy?]