Read Online Behold Here's Poison by Georgette Heyer - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Georgette Heyer
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the way she's behaving now, just as though she owned the whole house! He escaped from her presently on the pretext of' being obliged to go and wash his hands, and went upstairs to do so only to fall a victim, on his way down again, to Mrs Matthews, who was on the look-out for him.
Later, Stella accompanied both the visitors down the drive to the gate, and said with a twinkle: 'Did Mother tell you all her woes when Aunt Harriet had finished telling you hers, Mr Rumbold?'
He laughed. 'You're an irreverent minx, Stella. She did tell me a certain amount.'
'Well, I hope you smoothed them both down. They're rather on each other's nerves.'
'And I'm sure it's not to be wondered at,' said Mrs Rumbold kindly. 'A death in the house is enough to upset anybody, and when it comes to inquests and things, I'm not surprised at your mother and your auntie being a bit on edge.'
'We all are,' Stella said. 'Uncle wasn't poisoned, of course, but somehow when a thing like that has been suggested you find yourself—sort of speculating on who might have done it. It's horrid.'
'I shouldn't think about it at all, if I were you,' said Edward Rumbold with calm good sense. 'Dr Fielding is much more fitted to judge than your Aunt Gertrude, you know.'
'Yes,' agreed Stella. 'Only if it did happen to be true, and the police come and ask us all questions won't it look rather black that Guy, and D—that Guy and I have been having rows with uncle?'
'Of course it won't,' said Edward Rumbold comfortingly. 'The police don't arrest people merely because they've been quarrelling, you know! You're too fond of meeting troubles halfway, young woman.'
'Well, all I can say is I hope they don't come,' said Stella unconvinced.
'I don't suppose they will,' said Mr Rumbold.
But at ten o'clock on Monday morning Beecher went to the store-room in search of Miss Matthews, and in ominous silence held out a silver tray with a visiting-card reposing on it.
The card bore the name of Detective-Superintendent Hannasyde, of the Criminal Investigation Department, New Scotland Yard. Miss Matthews gave a startled gasp, and dropped it as though it were red-hot.
'I've shown them into the library, miss,' said Beecher.
----
Chapter Four
There were three people in the library. One was a middle-aged man, with grizzled hair, and eyes deep-set in a square, good-humoured countenance; the second was a thin man with a clipped moustache, and a very thin neck; the third was Dr Fielding. As Miss Matthews entered the room, clinging to her nephew's arm, the doctor stepped forward, and said in a grave voice: 'Miss Matthews, I am sorry to say that things are more serious than I had supposed. This is Superintendent Hannasyde, of Scotland Yard; and this,' he added, indicating the man with the moustache, 'is Inspector Davis, from the Police Station here.'
Miss Matthews looked at the Superintendent much as she might have looked at a boa-constrictor, and said Good-morning in a frightened whisper. The local Inspector she ignored.
'Good morning,' Hannasyde said pleasantly. 'Inspector Davis and I have come to ask you one or two questions about your brother's death.'
'You surely aren't going to tell us that he really was poisoned?' exclaimed Guy. 'I don't believe it! Why on earth should anyone want to poison him?'
Hannasyde glanced towards him. 'I don't know, Mr Matthews? That is one of the things I've come to find out.'
'But it's incredible!' Guy declared. 'I simply can't believe it!'
'I'm afraid there's no doubt, Guy,' interposed Fielding. 'The analysts discovered nicotine.'
Guy blinked. 'Nicotine? But he didn't smoke!'
'So Dr Fielding has been telling me,' replied Hannasyde.
Miss Matthews found her voice. 'Then it couldn't have been the duck!' she said.
'The duck?' repeated Hannasyde a little blankly.
'Yes, because if there had been any poison in that we should all be dead! And in any case I have the bill for two lamb cutlets, and anyone will tell you that they were ordered for my
Later, Stella accompanied both the visitors down the drive to the gate, and said with a twinkle: 'Did Mother tell you all her woes when Aunt Harriet had finished telling you hers, Mr Rumbold?'
He laughed. 'You're an irreverent minx, Stella. She did tell me a certain amount.'
'Well, I hope you smoothed them both down. They're rather on each other's nerves.'
'And I'm sure it's not to be wondered at,' said Mrs Rumbold kindly. 'A death in the house is enough to upset anybody, and when it comes to inquests and things, I'm not surprised at your mother and your auntie being a bit on edge.'
'We all are,' Stella said. 'Uncle wasn't poisoned, of course, but somehow when a thing like that has been suggested you find yourself—sort of speculating on who might have done it. It's horrid.'
'I shouldn't think about it at all, if I were you,' said Edward Rumbold with calm good sense. 'Dr Fielding is much more fitted to judge than your Aunt Gertrude, you know.'
'Yes,' agreed Stella. 'Only if it did happen to be true, and the police come and ask us all questions won't it look rather black that Guy, and D—that Guy and I have been having rows with uncle?'
'Of course it won't,' said Edward Rumbold comfortingly. 'The police don't arrest people merely because they've been quarrelling, you know! You're too fond of meeting troubles halfway, young woman.'
'Well, all I can say is I hope they don't come,' said Stella unconvinced.
'I don't suppose they will,' said Mr Rumbold.
But at ten o'clock on Monday morning Beecher went to the store-room in search of Miss Matthews, and in ominous silence held out a silver tray with a visiting-card reposing on it.
The card bore the name of Detective-Superintendent Hannasyde, of the Criminal Investigation Department, New Scotland Yard. Miss Matthews gave a startled gasp, and dropped it as though it were red-hot.
'I've shown them into the library, miss,' said Beecher.
----
Chapter Four
There were three people in the library. One was a middle-aged man, with grizzled hair, and eyes deep-set in a square, good-humoured countenance; the second was a thin man with a clipped moustache, and a very thin neck; the third was Dr Fielding. As Miss Matthews entered the room, clinging to her nephew's arm, the doctor stepped forward, and said in a grave voice: 'Miss Matthews, I am sorry to say that things are more serious than I had supposed. This is Superintendent Hannasyde, of Scotland Yard; and this,' he added, indicating the man with the moustache, 'is Inspector Davis, from the Police Station here.'
Miss Matthews looked at the Superintendent much as she might have looked at a boa-constrictor, and said Good-morning in a frightened whisper. The local Inspector she ignored.
'Good morning,' Hannasyde said pleasantly. 'Inspector Davis and I have come to ask you one or two questions about your brother's death.'
'You surely aren't going to tell us that he really was poisoned?' exclaimed Guy. 'I don't believe it! Why on earth should anyone want to poison him?'
Hannasyde glanced towards him. 'I don't know, Mr Matthews? That is one of the things I've come to find out.'
'But it's incredible!' Guy declared. 'I simply can't believe it!'
'I'm afraid there's no doubt, Guy,' interposed Fielding. 'The analysts discovered nicotine.'
Guy blinked. 'Nicotine? But he didn't smoke!'
'So Dr Fielding has been telling me,' replied Hannasyde.
Miss Matthews found her voice. 'Then it couldn't have been the duck!' she said.
'The duck?' repeated Hannasyde a little blankly.
'Yes, because if there had been any poison in that we should all be dead! And in any case I have the bill for two lamb cutlets, and anyone will tell you that they were ordered for my
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