Read Online Corpse in a Gilded Cage by Robert Barnard - Free Book Online

her own. You wouldn’t have met her yet, but you can see it in this snap. I don’t mind who knows it: Dixie’s always worn the trousers in our household.’
    â€˜I have in fact had the honour of meeting Lady Portsea,’ murmured Mr Lillywaite. ‘I met her briefly when she arrived at Chetton with . . . er . . . with your friend.’
    â€˜Chokey?’
    â€˜That’s right,’ said Mr Lillywaite, delicately not mentioning the other occupant of the car, of whom Phil seemed unaware. ‘And in fact I had along talk with Lady Portsea only this morning, when she paid a visit to my office.’
    â€˜Dixie did?’
    â€˜Yes, indeed. And I may say that Lady Portsea’s views are by no means what you seem to anticipate.’
    Phil let out a great laugh.
    â€˜Don’t tell me, I can guess! Dixie fancies herself in the role of Lady Muck!’
    â€˜Lady Portsea, quite naturally, wants what is best for you, for herself, and for the children,’ said Mr Lillywaite reprovingly, for though Dixie had inevitably grated on his every sensibility, nevertheless the one thing he really understood was self-interest. ‘I would not respect her as I do if she had taken any other view. She was very struck by the case I put before her.’
    â€˜That puts a different light on it,’ said Phil. ‘What Dixie wants, Dixie generally gets.’
    Mr Lillywaite had to repress a smile of immense satisfaction.
    â€˜I think the best thing,’ he said, collecting together his papers, but leaving the book with Phil, ‘would be for your wife to pay you a visit.’
    â€˜Oh, she’s just been. And Dixie was never one for gaol visiting. We’re rationed here, you know, same as any ordinary gaol.’
    â€˜The Governor is most cooperative,’ said Mr Lillywaite, with a little smile of self-congratulation. ‘I think you will find there is no problem, and this is certainly a matter that husband and wife ought to discuss together.’
    He was in the act of snapping shut the clasp on his briefcase when he happened to gaze down again at the wedding photograph on the table. A group at the Registry Office: Dixie in a shocking pink satin trouser suit of unpleasant shininess, draped in yards of billowing gauze, an expression on her face of great determination and strength of purpose; Phil, by her side, stalwart, mildly embarrassed, complaisant. Really, it could hardly be better.
    Suddenly Mr Lillywaite’s body stiffened.
    â€˜Er . . . who are the charming children?’ he asked.
    â€˜That’s Gareth,’ said Lord Portsea, ‘and that’s little Karen.’
    Mr Lillywaite swallowed.
    â€˜You mean that at the time of your marriage . . . You mean, to speak plainly, that they are illegitimate?’
    â€˜Go on!’ said Phil scornfully. ‘What a word to use! Nobody worries about that sort of thing these days.’
    â€˜I assure you that Garter King of Arms does.’
    â€˜Who’s he when he’s at home? The point is, they’re mine. That I do know. I wish I was as sure about the other two.’
    â€˜But, Lord Portsea, this is a matter of the gravest importance. Who, then, is your eldest legitimate son?’
    Lord Portsea gazed ahead of himself in thought.
    â€˜My oldest legitimate son . . . well, that would be . . .’ He snapped his fingers and creased his brow, ‘That would be—thingummy.’
    Mr Lillywaite waited.
    â€˜Surely, Lord Portsea, you know the names of your own children?’
    â€˜ ’Course I do. But this is different. I was married before, see. Wasn’t much more than twenty. I was at sea, merchant navy, and I jumped ship in Canada and shacked up with this bird. Bulgarian, she was. Her family got sort of displaced at the end of the war. And we got spliced when she was pregnant. What was his name? . . . Raicho. That’s it: