Read Online Agatha Raisin and the Fairies of Fryham by MC Beaton - Free Book Online

and go to the pub.’
    ‘They don’t do meals.’
    ‘What? Not even a Scotch egg?’
    ‘Not even that. It’s like a men’s club or an old-fashioned pub. Women not welcome while the men gawp at Rosie.’
    Charles looked around him. ‘Not bad for a rented cottage. Bit cold, though.’
    ‘No central heating. Lots of logs and I’ll light this Calor gas heater.’
    ‘What on earth brought you here?’
    ‘Just an impulse. I was bored and I stuck a pin in the map.’
    She put a plate of fish in front of Charles. ‘Any wine?’ he asked.
    ‘I’ve got a bottle of Chablis I got in Tesco’s the other day.’
    ‘Tesco’s around here?’
    ‘Norwich.’ Agatha took the bottle out of the fridge and handed him an opener.
    ‘That reminds me,’ she said, ‘the night I arrived I went down to the pub looking for food. Rosie said they didn’t do meals but invited me through to the kitchen to have some of the family food, which was delicious. She gave me this wine which was marvellous. I didn’t know what it was.’
    ‘So why didn’t you ask her?’
    ‘I meant to. But then it went out of my mind. I was taken aback when she wouldn’t let me pay for anything. I’ve been invited to join the women’s group here. I’ve been quilting.’
    Charles snorted with laughter. ‘Poor you. You must have been at your wits’ end for some amusement. So let’s finish this and go out and visit Tolly Trumpington-James.’
    ‘There’ll be police all over the place and Lucy’s cleared off to London.’
    ‘Still, we shall turn our great brains to the task of the missing Stubbs.’
    The rain had settled down to a dismal drizzle. ‘Not much of a place,’ commented Charles as they drove past the village green.
    ‘Looks all right in the sunshine.’
    They drove out to the manor house. Various police cars, vans and other cars were parked outside.
    They went up. Agatha rang the bell. The door was opened by the grumpy-looking woman who had served tea.
    ‘Tell Mr Trumpington-James I wish to see him,’ said Agatha grandly.
    She clumped off. After a few moments, she returned and said, ‘He’s too busy.’
    The door began to close. Charles held out his card. ‘I’m staying with Mrs Raisin. Perhaps he would like to give me a call?’
    She squinted down at the card and the legend ‘Sir Charles Fraith’.
    Tolly appeared in the hall behind. ‘She gone yet?’ he called.
    The surly woman said, ‘She’s got a Sir Charles Fraith with her.’
    Tolly surged forward, pushing her aside, an unctuous smile on his face.
    ‘Glad to see you, Sir Charles,’ he said. ‘Come in. Come for some hunting? You do ride on horseback?’
    ‘Camel, actually,’ said Charles.
    Tolly goggled at him, and then burst out laughing. ‘Joke, eh? That’s a good one. Come through. Mind if I call you Charles?’
    He strode off in the direction of the drawing-room. ‘What a twat,’ muttered Charles. ‘Come on, Aggie.’
    They went into the drawing-room. ‘Heard you’d had a painting pinched,’ said Charles. ‘Insured, I hope?’
    ‘Fortunately. But it’s not the money that bothers me. It’s the fact that some cheeky bugger walked into my house as cool as you please and took it off the wall and disappeared with it.’
    ‘And the burglar alarm was set?’ asked Agatha.
    ‘Yes,’ said Tolly impatiently, ‘and all the doors and windows were locked.’
    ‘It was taken from the study, wasn’t it? Can we have a look?’
    ‘Not now. The police are in there.’
    ‘What about that woman who answered the door?’
    ‘Betty Jackson. Yes. But she’s salt of the earth.’
    ‘I find her a grumpy old bitch,’ said Agatha.
    Tolly stared insolently at her. ‘You wouldn’t understand. People like us are used to servants, eh, Charles?’
    ‘No,’ said Charles. ‘I get women up from the village to clean and when I’ve got a big house party, I get a catering company to cope. Aggie’s quite right, you know. She is a grumpy old bitch.’
    Tolly let out a false