Murder at Atherton Manor
By Melanie Atherton Allen
Part One — The Athertons of Atherton Manor
Chapter One The Athertons Introduced – Lady Atherton Machinates – Nurse Is Missing – Geoffrey Is Made Aware Of The Disadvantages Of His Betrothal – A Little Refined Blackmail
Part Two — Several Semi-Simultaneous Overlapping Scenes
Chapter Two A Question of Titles Between Friends – Nurse Is Still Missing – Lucy Goes For A Stroll – Geoffrey is Enlightened – Geoffrey Exits In A Hurry – Mr. Bysshe Meets His Destiny
Chapter Three More Refined Blackmail – Lucy Falls Into Some Rosebushes – Mrs. Bogsby Knows When She’s Beaten – A Question of Wills – Mrs. Bogsby Accepts A Position – Geoffrey Pops In and Out – Lady Atherton Enjoys a Private Joke
Chapter Four Lord Atherton Is Startled – Ophelia Hampstead Inquires Into The Literary Tastes of Lord Atherton – Ophelia Is Shocked – Votes For Women – Lucy Continues Her Stroll, Though Now Quite Wet And Bruised – Ophelia Is Startled – Ophelia Gives Chase
Chapter Five Sneakfork Is Uneasy – Mrs. Burnstone Is Similarly Uneasy – Sneakfork Analyses The Domestic Situation – A Very Wet And Bruised Lucy Makes A Brief Appearance – Ophelia In Pursuit
Part Three — Arrivals And Departures
Chapter Six Julia Trueheart Keeps The Upper Lip Stiff – Georgianna Hampstead Receives A Visitor – Miss Mimsy Moppet – Sneakfork Disapproves – Georgianna’s Secret Revealed – Lord and Lady Grinling – The Boudoir Looms – Quarreling In The Rain – Georgianna Is Discovered
Chapter Seven Cocktail Hour – Major Gadfly Is Outraged – Major Gadfly- Is He a Lunatic? – Julia Is Concerned About The Missing Nurse – Lord Atherton Puts His Foot In It – Lady Grinling Has Hysterics – Nigel Penders-Ghastly Is Rude On Purpose – A Most Minimal Frock – A Scream – Everyone Rushes Off
Chapter Eight Murder At Atherton Manor – Lucy Is Covered In Blood – The Crime Scene Gets Rather Smashed Up – Many Persons Are Covered In Blood – Lord Atherton Faints – Lucy Has Hysterics – Julia Is Sensible – Hector Dane Is Sensible – Lord Atherton Is Carried Off To Bed – Major Gadfly Is Assigned Guard-Duty
Part Four — Police Investigations
Chapter Nine Inspector Moribund and Sergeant Mug – The Tale of Mad Lucy – Moribund Sees Visions Of Favorable Headlines – Lady Lucy Atherton - Mrs. Bogsby – A Murderess? - Inspector Moribund, Folklorist - Mug Is Alarmed About Nurse Grimsby – Sneakfork Is Alarmed About Inspector Moribund’s Method of Detection – Mrs. Hampstead and Mr. Sloop – Murderers? – Sneakfork Respectfully Disagrees
Chapter Ten Mrs. Burnstone’s Musical Evening – An Old Alliance Re-Kindled – Confidences of Lady Grinling - Miss Julia Trueheart Stops By For A Good Gossip – Sergeant Earnest Mug Recognizes His Lost Love – Lady Grinling’s Secret Revealed – Sneakfork Has Disturbing News – A Shriek Makes Night Hideous
Chapter Eleven Inspector Moribund Makes An Arrest – Julia Trueheart’s Secret Revealed – Nurse Grimsby Is Found – Inspector Moribund Makes Another Arrest – Julia Trueheart Announces Intention To Write To Lady Ermyntrude, Gentlewoman Detective
Part Five – - Further Complications, Romantic As Well As Evidential
Chapter Twelve Mr. Richard Bysshe Tries His Hand At Writing More Traditional Poetry – He Finds It Stiff Going – Nigel Penders-Ghastly Delivers A Calculated Snub – The Quarrel Becomes Heated – Pursuit!
Chapter Thirteen Sergeant Mug’s Cup Of Tea – Certain Surprising Information From The Medical Examiner’s Report – Who Broke The Cup? – Pursuit!
Chapter Fourteen Miss Mimsy Moppet Avails Herself Of The Gramophone – A Broken Engagement – Major Gadfly Is A Cad – Secret History – Hector Dane Defends The Honour of the Working Girl – The End Of The Chase – Lady E
Chapter Fifteen Lord Atherton Wants The Truth – Lady E Hopes To Be Able To Provide Him With It – Nigel Penders-Ghastly Is At His Tricks Again – Lord Grinling Manhandles An Unpleasant Young Man
Part Six — Murder At Midnight
Chapter Sixteen Girlish Confidences – Miss Mimsy Moppet Tells All – Footsteps in the Night – A Little Gentlewomanly Spying - A Parallel! – An Escape!
Chapter Seventeen Private Moppet and Captain Trueheart Report Failure – An Exchange of Compliments – The Second Victim Is Found
