Possible Clues:

• Overhear greeting said heartlessly in study, perhaps?
• Listen secretly to a private conversation
• What happens in autumn — bar the start — to earwig
• Sad over ruined record covers: listen privately
• Show unwelcome interest
• Dope raves about spy
• It's what you'd expect snoop to do with English designed vase? Give up!
• Parts of building suffer with bug
• Overhear
• Overhear report of first lady's decline