Read Online A Death in Two Parts by Jane Aiken Hodge - Free Book Online

push a greying lock back from his brow, the young musician’s gesture oddly pathetic in his worn middle age. “You might as well let them have it. Nothing’s going to stop them that I can see. I’ve given up.” It was all too clear that he had.
    â€œThat’s all very well, but what am I going to use for money? It costs about five pounds,” Grisel said.
    â€œI could let you have something towards it,” Seward said. “Say three pounds.”
    â€œYou? I thought you spent your whole allowance on records this quarter – and very inconsiderate too, with Christmas coming up and all; I don’t know what would happen to us if I didn’t make the sacrifices I do.” She paused, and a look Seward knew only too well crossed her face. “Seward, you took that five pounds!”
    â€œI didn’t say five, I said three.” The attempt at evasion was doomed to failure.
    â€œI don’t care what you said; it’s the only explanation. Seward, you’re crazy; she’ll worm it out of you and then where’ll we be? God, as if I hadn’t had enough of poverty trailing after you on those beastly concert tours and now you go and get us cut off …” She burst into dry habitual tears.
    â€œDon’t you worry,” Seward patted her shoulder absent-mindedly. “Things will be better after Christmas, you just wait and see.”
    In the room next door Joseph had lost his temper. “Priss can marry the devil, if she wants to,” he said. “I don’t give a damn, and if you think I’m going to spend my Christmas buttering up that young fool Brian Duguid you’ve got another guess coming. I’ve got better things to do with my time.”
    It was not often that Emily dared cross him when he was in this mood, but this time much was at stake. “But, Joseph dear,” she began, “it’s such a chance for poor Priss. How’s she ever to meet any young men, cooped up the way she is down here? It’s so unfair the way your mother lets Mary have a flat in town and keeps poor Priss here to be bullied, you know it is.”
    â€œOf course it’s unfair.” He was unusually reasonable. “But I don’t know what you expect me to do about it. Nothing I say’s going to make Mother change her mind. And I’m not sure I’d bother if it would. Priss is such a little fool she’d get in all kinds of trouble if she had a flat of her own … But I wouldn’t be surprised if we couldn’t set one up for ourselves after Christmas some time.”
    â€œWhat?” Her face lighted up for a minute, then clouded again. “Oh, Joseph, you’ve not been on the black market again?”
    â€œBlack market! Hark at her. The black market’s years out of date. Now don’t you worry; it’s safe as houses, and if it works, you’ll have your flat in town yet, and Priss can take her choice of young men. If she can find any that are fools enough, which I doubt.”
    Mrs Ffeathers had been alone since Paul Protheroe left her. For a while she had sat, her hands folded on her lap, the picture of a well-preserved old lady brooding over a virtuous life. At last she smiled to herself. “Yes,” she said, “that should do it; and if one won’t the other will.” She got up and crossed the room to where her big purple bag lay on the table. She got out a cheque book and a piece of paper and practised signatures for a while until she had one that satisfied her. Then she made out a cheque for fifty pounds to Josephine Ffeathers and signed her name at the bottom, then, with a little smile, she blotted the cheque, turned it over, picked up a different pen, and signed it rather boldly across the back. This done, she got out a doctor’s prescription and a little pad of prescription blanks and worked for a while at it. At last she wassatisfied; an exquisitely touching smile