Sidney Chambers and The Shadow of Death (The Grantchester Mysteries)

before.
    Amanda gave Lord Teversham a kiss on both cheeks. Then she took Ben’s hand. ‘Did you have something to do with this?’ she asked.
    ‘We all decided it was for the best,’ said Cicely, opening her arms.
    Amanda collapsed into her embrace.
    ‘There, there,’ said Lord Teversham. ‘We can’t go on like this otherwise we will all start blubbing. We need a good bit of roast beef and Yorkshire pudding and some heady red wine. I have a rather good Mouton Rothschild from ’49. Do you know the vintage, Canon Chambers?’
    ‘I can’t think of anything more appropriate,’ Sidney bluffed.
    They walked through to the dining room, where Mackay was waiting. He placed Amanda to Lord Teversham’s right and luncheon was served.
    The host was keen to hear the full story of the kidnap. ‘How frightening it must have been, Miss Kendall. Has Phillips confessed?’
    ‘I believe he has.’
    ‘He sounds a very unnerving man,’ Cicely added. ‘He must have had a very odd upbringing.’
    ‘Yes,’ said Amanda quietly. ‘Although, would you mind if we didn’t talk about it? I’m still finding it rather hard.’
    ‘Of course.’ Lord Teversham turned to Ben. ‘It’s surprising we didn’t notice that the man was mad in the first place. Perhaps it’s because we spend so much time with eccentrics in our own family. My uncle thought that pine nuts made you invisible. He used to come down to breakfast naked.’
    ‘I don’t think that’s the same thing’, Cicely said. ‘Mr Phillips must have been a different kettle of fish altogether.’
    ‘But that doesn’t mean we should take pity on him,’ Lord Teversham continued. ‘What do you say, Canon Chambers? Even madmen deserve our forgiveness? Surely in some cases people are beyond mercy? There is so much evil in the world.’
    ‘That is true, of course.’ Sidney answered.
    ‘You are thinking, I see.’
    ‘It is not the right time to discuss my thoughts.’
    ‘Go on.’
    Sidney looked at Amanda who smiled encouragingly. ‘He always has something interesting to say.’
    ‘I don’t know about that,’ her friend began, but he recognised that he should move the subject of the conversation away from Amanda’s ordeal. ‘People often ask me about the problem of evil,’ he began, ‘but there is, of course, another way of looking at it.’
    ‘Which is?’ Lord Teversham asked.
    ‘The problem of good. If we are all animals why are some of us good, kind, altruistic when we do not have to be? The capacity to behave morally is as interesting as the will to behave badly.’
    ‘Ah, the question of the selfish good,’ Ben intervened.
    ‘But that is not always the case.’ Sidney replied. ‘Some people are selfless. They are good without any expectation of reward. It is almost, or perhaps it really is, natural to them.’
    ‘You do always think the best of people,’ Amanda replied. ‘If you’d been kept prisoner by someone as vile as that man you might feel a bit differently. Just thinking of him makes me feel sick.’
    ‘Then let’s not,’ said Lord Teversham.
    Sidney explained. ‘Amanda’s been rather off her food ever since. I just think it’s an interesting dilemma that people overlook . . .’
    Cicely Teversham began to clear the plates. ‘I see you managed the beef all right, Amanda.’
    ‘It was delicious, thank you, and it’s so kind of you both to loan the painting. You know that you can come to the National Gallery and see it whenever you like?’
    Lord Teversham handed his sister his plate. It was unclear where the butler had gone. ‘Perhaps we should crack on with pudding,’ he continued. ‘I think Cook has organised one of her specials. It’s a childhood favourite of mine and now that the tiresome business of rationing is over we have it as much as we like. I hope you will crave my indulgence. I think we’ve also got a rather agreeable dessert wine to go with it.’ He stood up to look for it. ‘Let me see if it is here; a rather fruity little Gaillac, I believe.’
    Cicely stood up at the same time and moved over to a silver serving dish on the sideboard. She took off the lid. ‘Banana fritters!’ she announced. ‘How wonderful. Can I help you to a couple, Miss Kendall?’
    ‘If you’ll excuse me,’ Amanda apologised, ‘I don’t think I’ll be having any pudding.’
    ‘Are you sure?’ Sidney asked.
    ‘What ever is the matter?’ Lord Teversham asked. ‘Don’t you like bananas?’

Honourable Men
    Sidney was