Bauerstein steps inside, since Alfred saw him walking by and encouraged him to come in for coffee. That evening, everyone gathers for coffee, but Emily decides to have hers in her room because she has some letters to write. He and Cynthia decide to play tennis, and once they meet on the courts, Cynthia tells Hastings what she has learned: Dorcas, the maid, told her that Emily and Alfred had a terrible fight. Because of this unexpected run-in, Hastings is in a good mood when he and the others return to Styles, so he’s caught off guard by the tense atmosphere in the house. Hastings insists that Poirot is an incredible detective, claiming that his friend is a celebrity of sorts. He then goes with Hastings and Cynthia to the post office, and Hastings is astounded to run into his old friend, Hercule Poirot. He also stays behind in the dispensary while the others step out. Lawrence, who studied to be a doctor, opens the poison cabinet while looking for tea. The next day, Hastings and Lawrence-John’s younger brother-pay Cynthia a visit at the dispensary. Bauerstein and Mary Cavendish are close friends and spend a lot of time together. Bauerstein, an expert in poison who’s visiting from London. As everyone watches her drive away, Hastings spots a man with a big dark beard walking toward the house it’s Dr. Evelyn has therefore decided to leave Styles at once. Raikes, but Emily refused to believe these allegations. She also insisted that Alfred has been having an affair with the neighbor, Mrs. Evelyn apparently spoke her mind to Emily, saying Alfred is just using her for her money and waiting for her to die. Hastings hears through Cynthia that Emily and Evelyn have had a terrible fight. It isn’t long before calamity breaks out. Like everyone else at Styles, he dislikes Alfred Inglethorp immediately after meeting him, finding himself greatly unsettled by the man’s presence. He also enjoys talking to Cynthia Murdock, a young woman who mixes medicines at the nearby hospital and who has been living at Styles ever since she was orphaned. He takes a particular interest in John’s wife, Mary, whom he finds attractive.

Hastings’s first days at Styles Court mainly consist of meeting everyone who lives at the country house. Emily welcomed Alfred into the home, and it wasn’t long before they announced their marriage. Everyone is suspicious of Alfred, thinking he’s “fortune hunting.” When he first arrived, he claimed to be a distant cousin to Evelyn Howard, Emily’s closest friend. He explains that there’s some tension at Styles Court these days, since his stepmother, Emily, recently married a younger man named Alfred Inglethorp. After they’ve gotten reacquainted, John invites Hastings to spend time at his family’s country house, Styles Court.

Arthur Hastings is on leave from World War I when he runs into an old friend, John Cavendish.

The mysterious affair at styles