Read Online Fire When Ready (Manor House Mystery) by Kate Kingsbury - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kate Kingsbury
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her dreams.
Her face still felt warm at the thought as she entered the office. The first thing she saw was Polly's rear end stuck up in the air and her head hidden under her desk. Intrigued, Elizabeth murmured, "If you find anything interesting under there, do let me know."
A loud gasp was followed by a sharp crack as Polly's head hit the desk. Eyes streaming, her red face emerged over the side of the desk. "Good morning, your ladyship. You made me jump. I was just looking for me pencil. It must have rolled under the desk."
"I'm sorry I startled you." Elizabeth crossed the room to her own desk. "I hope you didn't hurt your head."
Struggling up into her chair, Polly rubbed the back of her head. "Not too bad. I needed something to wake me up this morning. I didn't get home until late last night, and me ma kept me up screaming at me for being late."
"I see." Elizabeth picked up a letter from the top of the pile and slit it open. "Out with your young man last night?"
"Yes, m'm. We went to the flicks. It was a very good film. It was called
The Shop Around the Corner
, and Jimmy Stewart was in it. It was about two people writing letters to each other and they didn't know they were writing to each other until the end of the film."
Elizabeth blinked. "I see. It sounds very . . . interesting."
"Oh, it were, m'm." Polly opened the drawer of her desk and started hunting in it. "It would've been a lovely evening if it hadn't been for the chocolates."
"Chocolates?"
"Yes, m'm. See, Ray bought me a box of chocolates, but he ate most of them 'cause he was so upset about Mr. McNally dying."
Elizabeth caught her breath. "Oh, that's right. I forgot your young man worked with Mr. McNally."
Polly looked up from her rummaging. "Yes, he did. He said as how Mr. McNally was the best boss he ever had and he was really, really upset when he found out he were dead. He said that Mr. McNally was like a father to him. See, Ray lost his dad in the first year of the war, and he really looked up to Mr. McNally. He sort of replaced his father, I s'pose." She uttered a little cry of satisfaction as she pulled a pencil out of the drawer. "I knew I had another one in here."
"How awful," Elizabeth said, feeling sorry for the young man. "It must have been a great shock to him to hear such dreadful news."
"Yes, m'm. It were. I never saw a bloke so upset. He actually had tears in his eyes when he told me. Gave me a right turn it did. I never saw a grownup bloke cry before. Not unless it were in a film, anyhow."
Elizabeth was beginning to feel better about Ray Muggins. At first she'd worried that he might not be good for Polly. City men were so much more devious and a good deal bolder than the village's young men. Hearing Polly speak about him that way, he sounded as if he was a sensitive and caring young man. Just what Polly needed after her unfortunate relationship with the American squadron leader, Sam Cutter.
"Ray was at the fire the other night," Polly was saying. "Saw the roof cave in, he did. Never thought for one minute Mr. McNally might be inside. It wasn't until the firemen brought out the bodies that Ray found out his bosswere dead. Said it made him feel so bad he couldn't ride his bicycle back to the pub. So he walked all the way back and then had to go back and fetch his bicycle yesterday morning."
"Oh, dear." Remembering how shocked she'd been to hear of the tragic deaths, Elizabeth could sympathize with the young man. Losing his father must have been hard. She still hadn't fully recovered from losing both her parents so suddenly. Now the poor boy had lost a father figure in his life. So sad.
"Anyway, I reckon it's up to me to try and make him forget his troubles," Polly said, sounding so grown up Elizabeth had to smile.
"I'm sure you'll do a wonderful job," she told her assistant. "And when your young man is feeling better, I'd like to talk to him about what he saw the night of the fire."
Polly looked worried. "He doesn't like to
Her face still felt warm at the thought as she entered the office. The first thing she saw was Polly's rear end stuck up in the air and her head hidden under her desk. Intrigued, Elizabeth murmured, "If you find anything interesting under there, do let me know."
A loud gasp was followed by a sharp crack as Polly's head hit the desk. Eyes streaming, her red face emerged over the side of the desk. "Good morning, your ladyship. You made me jump. I was just looking for me pencil. It must have rolled under the desk."
"I'm sorry I startled you." Elizabeth crossed the room to her own desk. "I hope you didn't hurt your head."
Struggling up into her chair, Polly rubbed the back of her head. "Not too bad. I needed something to wake me up this morning. I didn't get home until late last night, and me ma kept me up screaming at me for being late."
"I see." Elizabeth picked up a letter from the top of the pile and slit it open. "Out with your young man last night?"
"Yes, m'm. We went to the flicks. It was a very good film. It was called
The Shop Around the Corner
, and Jimmy Stewart was in it. It was about two people writing letters to each other and they didn't know they were writing to each other until the end of the film."
Elizabeth blinked. "I see. It sounds very . . . interesting."
"Oh, it were, m'm." Polly opened the drawer of her desk and started hunting in it. "It would've been a lovely evening if it hadn't been for the chocolates."
"Chocolates?"
"Yes, m'm. See, Ray bought me a box of chocolates, but he ate most of them 'cause he was so upset about Mr. McNally dying."
Elizabeth caught her breath. "Oh, that's right. I forgot your young man worked with Mr. McNally."
Polly looked up from her rummaging. "Yes, he did. He said as how Mr. McNally was the best boss he ever had and he was really, really upset when he found out he were dead. He said that Mr. McNally was like a father to him. See, Ray lost his dad in the first year of the war, and he really looked up to Mr. McNally. He sort of replaced his father, I s'pose." She uttered a little cry of satisfaction as she pulled a pencil out of the drawer. "I knew I had another one in here."
"How awful," Elizabeth said, feeling sorry for the young man. "It must have been a great shock to him to hear such dreadful news."
"Yes, m'm. It were. I never saw a bloke so upset. He actually had tears in his eyes when he told me. Gave me a right turn it did. I never saw a grownup bloke cry before. Not unless it were in a film, anyhow."
Elizabeth was beginning to feel better about Ray Muggins. At first she'd worried that he might not be good for Polly. City men were so much more devious and a good deal bolder than the village's young men. Hearing Polly speak about him that way, he sounded as if he was a sensitive and caring young man. Just what Polly needed after her unfortunate relationship with the American squadron leader, Sam Cutter.
"Ray was at the fire the other night," Polly was saying. "Saw the roof cave in, he did. Never thought for one minute Mr. McNally might be inside. It wasn't until the firemen brought out the bodies that Ray found out his bosswere dead. Said it made him feel so bad he couldn't ride his bicycle back to the pub. So he walked all the way back and then had to go back and fetch his bicycle yesterday morning."
"Oh, dear." Remembering how shocked she'd been to hear of the tragic deaths, Elizabeth could sympathize with the young man. Losing his father must have been hard. She still hadn't fully recovered from losing both her parents so suddenly. Now the poor boy had lost a father figure in his life. So sad.
"Anyway, I reckon it's up to me to try and make him forget his troubles," Polly said, sounding so grown up Elizabeth had to smile.
"I'm sure you'll do a wonderful job," she told her assistant. "And when your young man is feeling better, I'd like to talk to him about what he saw the night of the fire."
Polly looked worried. "He doesn't like to
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