Read Online Hand in Glove by Ngaio Marsh - Free Book Online Page A

girlish insouciance, linked her arm through Mr. Cartell’s, causing him to become rigid with distaste.
    First blood to Moppett, thought Désirée with relish.
    Leonard listened to Sergeant Noakes with an expression that progressed from bonhomie through concern towards righteous astonishment. He bowed ironically and indicated the Scorpion. Catching sight of Désirée, he shook his head slowly from side to side as if inviting her to share his bewilderment. He then removed two large packages from the Scorpion.
    Désirée opened the French window and strolled down the steps towards them. Mr. Cartell furiously disengaged himself from Moppett.
    “I think,” he said, “that we should get back, Noakes. If Copper drives the other car, you, I suppose—”
    Sergeant Noakes glanced at Moppett and muttered something.
    “Don’t let
us
keep you,” Leonard said quickly and with excessive politeness. “Please.”
    They touched their hats to Désirée and mounted their respective cars. They drove away, inexplicably at a disadvantage.
    “Well,” Désirée asked cheerfully, “did you find my tiresome food?”
    Moppett and Leonard, all smiles, began to chatter and give way to each other.
    Finally Moppett said: “Dear Lady Bantling — yes. We’ve got it all, but, as you see, we ran into a muddle of sorts. Mr. Copper’s made a nonsense about the Scorpion, and we’ve missed buying it.”
    “Inefficient,” Leonard said. “It appears somebody else had first refusal.”
    “How very disappointing.”
    “Isn’t it!” Moppett agreed. “Too sickening.” She gave a little scream and put her hand to her mouth. “Leonard!” she cried. “Fools that we are!”
    “What, darling?”
    “We ought to have gone back with them. Look at us!
Now
what do we do?”
    Leonard allowed the slightest possible gap to occur before he said: “I’m afraid Mr. George Copper will have to make a return trip in my car. Too bad!”
    “What
will
you think of us?” Moppett asked Désirée.
    “Oh,” she said lightly, “the worst,” and they laughed with possibly a shade less conviction.
    “At least,” Moppett said, “we can bring the food in, can’t we? And if we
might
ring up for
some
sort of transport…”
    Bimbo came out of the house and fetched up short when he saw them. Désirée grinned at him.
    “Why not stay?” she said very distinctly to Moppett. “After fetching all our food, the least we can do is to ask you to eat it. Do stay.”

CHAPTER THREE

Aftermath to a Party
    Andrew put Nicola’s overcoat on the seat and sat opposite to her.
    “The best thing about this train,” he said, “is that it’s nearly always empty. So you’re returning to the fold tomorrow, are you?”
    Nicola said Mr. Period had asked her to do so, and that was why she had left her typewriter behind.
    “But you’re
not
returning to Little Codling tomorrow,” Andrew said, with the air of taking a plunge, “you’re returning tonight. At least I hope so. Don’t say another word. I’ve got an invitation for you.”
    He produced it and gave it to her with an anxious smile.
    It was from his mother and it said:
     
    Do come to my dotty party tonight. Andrew will bring you and we’ll put you up. He’ll explain all about it, but do come
.
     
    Nicola stared at him in amazement.
    “My mum,” he said, “has taken a fancy to you. So, as is no doubt abundantly obvious, have I. Now don’t go into a
brouhaha
and say you can’t. Just say: ‘Thank you, Andrew. How sweet of your mum, I’d love to.’ ”
    “But
how
can I?”
    “How?” Andrew said grandly. “Anyhow. Why not?”
    “I tell you what,” Nicola said. “You’ve nagged at your mum to ask me.”
    “I swear I haven’t. She nagged at me and I said I would if you would.”
    “There you are, you see.”
    “No, I don’t. And anyway, do stop carping and come. It’s definitely not one of my mama’s more rococo parties. I wouldn’t dream of taking you to one of them, of course.”
    Nicola, who