Only when he and then the doctor arrived did she feel able to leave the distraught woman. She was clearly of a very nervous disposition and Verity wondered if she ought to sympathize with Professor Dolmen for having to put up with his wife’s nerves or blame him for the state of them. Of course, it had been a great shock to all of them when they heard Edward’s shout of horror and he and the Chief Steward had burst out of the cold room but it wasn’t as if the ladies left outside had actually seen anything. The Chief Steward had gone off to fetch assistance and inform the Captain of what they had found. Edward had remained on guard outside and had at first refused to tell anyone what the matter was. At Verity’s insistence, he had finally divulged that they had discovered the body of Tom Barrett but, to her fury, he resolutely refused to let her enter the room and view the corpse nor would he comment on whether the death had been an accident or something else. ‘What are you afraid of?’ she had said urgently.
