Read Online Fire When Ready (Manor House Mystery) by Kate Kingsbury - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Kate Kingsbury
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coughed. "Well, I'm sure there is one, but he's not around, if you know what I mean."
"It's all right, Wally, I understand." Elizabeth's stomach suddenly growled, reminding her she'd eaten nothing but an apple all day. Hastily she stood up to leave. "Zora lives in a caravan, I believe?"
"Aye, that she does. Down by Salishay Point, in Jeremy Quimby's fallow field. He lets them stay there and she helps him on the farm. Jessie stayed with the child while Zora was working. I don't know what she'll do now."
"Well, I'll call on her and see if there's anything I can do."
"That's jolly decent of you, your ladyship. I'm sure Zora will appreciate that very much."
She wasn't quite sure what she could do to help; but the least she could do was look in on the poor woman. Right now, however, she had a more pressing objective. And that was to get food inside her stomach as soon as possible, before it embarrassed her any further.
Polly sat in the back row of the Rialto cinema in North Horsham and wished that Ray Muggins would put his arm around her instead of sitting there stuffing his face with chocolates. After all, they were supposed to be her chocolates. He'd given them to her when he'd met her off the bus, and she'd got really excited. It had been ages since she'd had chocolates.
Now that sweets were rationed, it took at least a month to save up enough coupons for chocolates, and she didn't have the will power to go that long. She spent her coupons instead on a stick of nougat, or a packet of jelly babies.
Her mouth had been watering ever since Ray had put the box in her hands. All she'd had was one measly chocolate, and that was a cream center, not the kind she liked with the toffee in the middle. Just as the film started, she'd offered the box to Ray. She'd expected him to take one and leave the rest for her. Instead of that, he'd grabbed the box out of her hands and was now shoving a fifth chocolate in his mouth. She'd counted every one.
Not only that, she'd missed the beginning of the film because she'd been watching him. She hated missing the beginning of the film. It meant she'd be spending half the time trying to catch up on what happened.
She heard the rustle of the little paper cups as Ray reached for yet another chocolate. Cross with him now, she reached over and the took the box out of his hands. " 'Ere," she whispered fiercely. "Leave some for me."
"What?" He stared at her, his eyes wide and staring, like he'd seen a ghost. "Oh, sorry. I always eat too much when I'm bothered about something."
Come to think of it, he'd been acting funny all night. She wanted to ask him what was bothering him, but it was hard to talk in whispers. Instead she muttered, "I'll say you do." She looked down at the half-empty box. "You must have spent a month's coupons on these and they're nearly all gone already."
He shrugged. "Plenty more where they came from."
Not catching on, she demanded, "How can you? They're on coupons."
"Not where I get them."
She hissed out her breath. "You got them on the black market?"
He shushed her with a finger in front of his mouth. "Don't make such a big fuss about it, then. Everybody does it."
She didn't like being shushed like that. For a moment she thought about telling him so, but decided it wasn't worth arguing about. After all, he was right. Everybody did do it. It was the only way to get the things you liked, even if it did cost a lot more. Might as well enjoy them while she could. Snuggling down in her seat, she popped a chocolate in her mouth and started concentrating on the film. She had a lot to catch up on.
Elizabeth made sure she had a full bowl of porridge before she went up to the office the next morning. All night longshe'd had strange, mixed-up dreams, most of which had included Earl. Not that she could really remember any of them very well, but she was quite sure they involved some activities she had no business allowing into her imagination, even if she wasn't in total control of
"It's all right, Wally, I understand." Elizabeth's stomach suddenly growled, reminding her she'd eaten nothing but an apple all day. Hastily she stood up to leave. "Zora lives in a caravan, I believe?"
"Aye, that she does. Down by Salishay Point, in Jeremy Quimby's fallow field. He lets them stay there and she helps him on the farm. Jessie stayed with the child while Zora was working. I don't know what she'll do now."
"Well, I'll call on her and see if there's anything I can do."
"That's jolly decent of you, your ladyship. I'm sure Zora will appreciate that very much."
She wasn't quite sure what she could do to help; but the least she could do was look in on the poor woman. Right now, however, she had a more pressing objective. And that was to get food inside her stomach as soon as possible, before it embarrassed her any further.
Polly sat in the back row of the Rialto cinema in North Horsham and wished that Ray Muggins would put his arm around her instead of sitting there stuffing his face with chocolates. After all, they were supposed to be her chocolates. He'd given them to her when he'd met her off the bus, and she'd got really excited. It had been ages since she'd had chocolates.
Now that sweets were rationed, it took at least a month to save up enough coupons for chocolates, and she didn't have the will power to go that long. She spent her coupons instead on a stick of nougat, or a packet of jelly babies.
Her mouth had been watering ever since Ray had put the box in her hands. All she'd had was one measly chocolate, and that was a cream center, not the kind she liked with the toffee in the middle. Just as the film started, she'd offered the box to Ray. She'd expected him to take one and leave the rest for her. Instead of that, he'd grabbed the box out of her hands and was now shoving a fifth chocolate in his mouth. She'd counted every one.
Not only that, she'd missed the beginning of the film because she'd been watching him. She hated missing the beginning of the film. It meant she'd be spending half the time trying to catch up on what happened.
She heard the rustle of the little paper cups as Ray reached for yet another chocolate. Cross with him now, she reached over and the took the box out of his hands. " 'Ere," she whispered fiercely. "Leave some for me."
"What?" He stared at her, his eyes wide and staring, like he'd seen a ghost. "Oh, sorry. I always eat too much when I'm bothered about something."
Come to think of it, he'd been acting funny all night. She wanted to ask him what was bothering him, but it was hard to talk in whispers. Instead she muttered, "I'll say you do." She looked down at the half-empty box. "You must have spent a month's coupons on these and they're nearly all gone already."
He shrugged. "Plenty more where they came from."
Not catching on, she demanded, "How can you? They're on coupons."
"Not where I get them."
She hissed out her breath. "You got them on the black market?"
He shushed her with a finger in front of his mouth. "Don't make such a big fuss about it, then. Everybody does it."
She didn't like being shushed like that. For a moment she thought about telling him so, but decided it wasn't worth arguing about. After all, he was right. Everybody did do it. It was the only way to get the things you liked, even if it did cost a lot more. Might as well enjoy them while she could. Snuggling down in her seat, she popped a chocolate in her mouth and started concentrating on the film. She had a lot to catch up on.
Elizabeth made sure she had a full bowl of porridge before she went up to the office the next morning. All night longshe'd had strange, mixed-up dreams, most of which had included Earl. Not that she could really remember any of them very well, but she was quite sure they involved some activities she had no business allowing into her imagination, even if she wasn't in total control of
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