Sir Henry is the father of Hilary Thorpe, and the body is discovered after his death when his late wife's grave is opened up for his burial. He is an honest man - he recompenses Lady Wilbraham for the loss of the emeralds - and he is unconventional enough to allow his daughter to go to university and earn her own living, which was rather radical for young aristocratic women in the 1920s. He encourages his daughter in her career plans and regrets that he will be unable to leave her much money when she dies. Hilary states that he would have got on very well with Lord Peter.