Read Online 02 - Murder at Dareswick Hall by Margaret Addison - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Margaret Addison
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doesn’t know, does he?’ Realisation dawned on Josephine’s face.
‘Oh, but I don’t suppose he’d care, anyway, knowing the sort of man he is. But
even so, you must tell him, you must tell him what he’s done.’
‘No,
and you won’t tell him either.’ Isabella said firmly. ‘And anyway, it was only
a servant.’
‘How
can you be so callous?’ asked Josephine, angrily. ‘Honestly, Isabella, I wish
you’d grow up and stop being so selfish. She may only have been a servant, as
you put it, but she mattered, of course she mattered. And besides, what about
the other servants? How do you think they feel? It’s not fair on them. You
don’t think it was an accident, do you, Robert spilling hot soup on Hugh.’
‘Oh,
that was rather funny, wasn’t it?’ giggled Isabella, ‘You should have seen
Hugh’s face, I thought he was going to explode.’
‘Issy!’
said Josephine, shocked. ‘Of course it wasn’t funny. Hugh could have been
seriously hurt. And besides, Robert’s lost his job because of it.’
‘Oh
well, I’m sure you’ll talk Father round.’
‘Well
of course I’ll try to. But Issy, why are you marrying Hugh? It’s obvious you’re
not in love with him and even you wouldn’t marry someone just for a title, not
someone like him, anyway. Are you in some sort of trouble? You’re not –.’
‘No!
Please, Josephine, don’t try to interfere. I’m marrying him and that’s all
there is to it.’ She looked at her sister, anxiously. ‘Look, I do love him in
my own way. Well as much as I’ll ever love anyone.’
‘I
don’t believe you.’
‘Well,
we can’t all be like you, can we?’
‘What’s
that supposed to mean?’ demanded Josephine.
‘Having
romantic notions about marriage. And we can’t all be the dutiful little daughter
staying at home looking after Father. I couldn’t bear to be cooped up here in
the wilderness with absolutely no society to speak of unless you count the
vicar and the country doctor and solicitor. I’d simply go mad. I want to see
the world; I want to experience everything. Oh, it’s alright for you,’ she
added dismissively, ‘it’s exactly what you want, to be shut up here.’
‘How do
you know that’s what I want, or what I’m like come to that?’ asked Josephine.
There was a strange note to her voice which made her sister look at her
curiously. ‘Have you ever bothered to ask or try to find out? How do you really
know that I like being shut away here, as you put it?’
‘But
you love living here, you’re always saying how much you do.’ Isabella looked
surprised.
‘Yes,
of course, I do but …’ Josephine faltered, suddenly looking dejected.
‘What
is it?’ Isabella felt a surge of curiosity, all her interest was transferred to
her sister now.
‘Oh,
it’s nothing, really. I’m just being silly, just ignore me.’ She thought,
haven’t I already said those words before this evening? I’m going to go mad if
I don’t tell someone soon, but I can’t tell Issy and I can’t tell Hallam.
They’d never understand. They’ll find out soon enough and then they’ll hate me
for what I’ve done. They’ll never have anything to do with me, they’ll…
‘Oh,
don’t cry, Josephine, I can’t bear it.’ Isabella came over to the bed, sat down
and put her arm around her older sister’s shoulders. ‘Don’t cry old thing,
there’s no need. I know I’ve been rather beastly. I admit I’ve behaved badly,
but I thought you were over him. I never really thought that you were ever that
keen on him anyway. But please don’t cry.’
‘There’s
every need for me to cry, if only you knew. And it’s got nothing to do with
Hugh, I’m quite over him. But I’m scared, Isabella, I’m scared about what’s
going to happen.’
‘So am
I,’ said Isabella, slowly and with feeling, ‘so am I.’
Chapter Seven
When
Rose went down to breakfast the next morning she found only Josephine seated
there eating a slice of toast.
‘I
‘Oh, but I don’t suppose he’d care, anyway, knowing the sort of man he is. But
even so, you must tell him, you must tell him what he’s done.’
‘No,
and you won’t tell him either.’ Isabella said firmly. ‘And anyway, it was only
a servant.’
‘How
can you be so callous?’ asked Josephine, angrily. ‘Honestly, Isabella, I wish
you’d grow up and stop being so selfish. She may only have been a servant, as
you put it, but she mattered, of course she mattered. And besides, what about
the other servants? How do you think they feel? It’s not fair on them. You
don’t think it was an accident, do you, Robert spilling hot soup on Hugh.’
‘Oh,
that was rather funny, wasn’t it?’ giggled Isabella, ‘You should have seen
Hugh’s face, I thought he was going to explode.’
‘Issy!’
said Josephine, shocked. ‘Of course it wasn’t funny. Hugh could have been
seriously hurt. And besides, Robert’s lost his job because of it.’
‘Oh
well, I’m sure you’ll talk Father round.’
‘Well
of course I’ll try to. But Issy, why are you marrying Hugh? It’s obvious you’re
not in love with him and even you wouldn’t marry someone just for a title, not
someone like him, anyway. Are you in some sort of trouble? You’re not –.’
‘No!
Please, Josephine, don’t try to interfere. I’m marrying him and that’s all
there is to it.’ She looked at her sister, anxiously. ‘Look, I do love him in
my own way. Well as much as I’ll ever love anyone.’
‘I
don’t believe you.’
‘Well,
we can’t all be like you, can we?’
‘What’s
that supposed to mean?’ demanded Josephine.
‘Having
romantic notions about marriage. And we can’t all be the dutiful little daughter
staying at home looking after Father. I couldn’t bear to be cooped up here in
the wilderness with absolutely no society to speak of unless you count the
vicar and the country doctor and solicitor. I’d simply go mad. I want to see
the world; I want to experience everything. Oh, it’s alright for you,’ she
added dismissively, ‘it’s exactly what you want, to be shut up here.’
‘How do
you know that’s what I want, or what I’m like come to that?’ asked Josephine.
There was a strange note to her voice which made her sister look at her
curiously. ‘Have you ever bothered to ask or try to find out? How do you really
know that I like being shut away here, as you put it?’
‘But
you love living here, you’re always saying how much you do.’ Isabella looked
surprised.
‘Yes,
of course, I do but …’ Josephine faltered, suddenly looking dejected.
‘What
is it?’ Isabella felt a surge of curiosity, all her interest was transferred to
her sister now.
‘Oh,
it’s nothing, really. I’m just being silly, just ignore me.’ She thought,
haven’t I already said those words before this evening? I’m going to go mad if
I don’t tell someone soon, but I can’t tell Issy and I can’t tell Hallam.
They’d never understand. They’ll find out soon enough and then they’ll hate me
for what I’ve done. They’ll never have anything to do with me, they’ll…
‘Oh,
don’t cry, Josephine, I can’t bear it.’ Isabella came over to the bed, sat down
and put her arm around her older sister’s shoulders. ‘Don’t cry old thing,
there’s no need. I know I’ve been rather beastly. I admit I’ve behaved badly,
but I thought you were over him. I never really thought that you were ever that
keen on him anyway. But please don’t cry.’
‘There’s
every need for me to cry, if only you knew. And it’s got nothing to do with
Hugh, I’m quite over him. But I’m scared, Isabella, I’m scared about what’s
going to happen.’
‘So am
I,’ said Isabella, slowly and with feeling, ‘so am I.’
Chapter Seven
When
Rose went down to breakfast the next morning she found only Josephine seated
there eating a slice of toast.
‘I
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