Bring the Monkey by Miles Franklin — Read

Lord Tattingwood was out of bed, but undressed and unshaven. His wife was in his room, wrapped in blankets on a couch. Lord Tattingwood said he had found her half-an-hour since, cold and ill, in his dressing-room. Alarmed by her condition, he wanted to telephone for the doctor at Supersnoring immediately, but Lady Tattingwood had insisted that she was only suffering from colic, which she attributed to the lobster salad. Her husband had administered brandy, which she said gave her instant relief, which endured as long as she remained perfectly still.

She murmured that she wished to be left alone, and Lord Tattingwood emerged to learn of foul murder committed under his roof. Unshaven, in the morning light, he looked old and dissipated, and an even less attractive being than during the previous evening, when he had told the fib about his visit to Percy. But on hearing the state of affairs he took command with that energy and common sense to be expected of an intrepid soldier. His first thought seemed to be for Lady Tattingwood. He said this would be a terrible shock to her, as the Chief Inspector had been one of her patients during the war, and they had been friends and companions ever since. As the doctor had been sent for on the other count, he would let her rest undisturbed as long as possible.