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Authors: Margery Allingham
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eldest, but the second girl. Nearly eighteen, trying to look grown up. I soon stopped all that.”
“Did they, by jove?” He paused, his fork in mid-air. He was pleased but astonished. “Frederick’s niece. I wondered if they would. I didn’t know what to advise you to write. Well, good for them, Polly, eh? That settles a lot of problems, doesn’t it? I can see you took to her. I shall look forward to meeting her. When is she coming to London again?”
“She’s here now, only arrived this morning. I thought you might want to talk business so I gave her some lunch early and sent her out to look at the shops. She’ll be back before you go. Matt, you’re going to be startled.”
“Oh dear, am I?” He was suspicious at once. “If she’s a relative of Frederick’s, of course, she may have
any
peculiarity. What is it?” He permitted himself a little smile. “Two heads perhaps?”
“If she had I’d still love her. But no, Matt, she’s a beauty, a real true film-star knock-out. Really lovely. One of those faces which turn your heart over and a body like one of the little bits of nonsense you see on the screen. I’ve been most careful not to let on I noticed anything, because I do hate conceited kids, but there’s no getting away from it. You wait.”
He burst out laughing. “You’re clucking, Polly,” he said, “but I’m thankful to hear it. As I told both you and Frederick, blood is so much thicker than water when it comes to it.” He hesitated. “You’ll be completing that document, then?”
“Oh, I think so. I’d only got to put the name in, hadn’t I? You were right, Matt. I realised it when I saw her.”
“Oh well, I’m glad,” said Mr. Phillipson sighing. “I brought it along with me, as a matter of fact. Just slipped it in my pocket in case, don’t you know. I don’t want to hurry you, of course, but these things are better completed. We’ll see to it after lunch.”
She exchanged his plate for a clean one and uncovered the cheese. She was smiling to herself.
“You don’t really trust me, do you, Matt? You think I’m like any other silly old woman, liable to change my mind every ten minutes.”
“No no, I don’t,” he protested. “It’s not that at all. It’s simply that you and I are old-fashioned people in an old-fashioned situation, in which years of experience have proved that any young relative, however distant, is apt to turn out to be a better bet in the long run than the—er—stranger without the gates.”
Mrs. Tassie was making the coffee and did not answer immediately, but as she brought the tray to the table and re-seated herself she ventured a guarded question.
“You’re going to have a word with that boy for me this afternoon, aren’t you?”
“I saw him yesterday.”
“Gerry Hawker?” She had started and the dark fragrant liquid spilled over the saucer and into the tray. “You told me his appointment was for today.”
“So it was. The rascal came a day early, assuming no doubt that I shouldn’t be able to see him. However, I made time for him. Don’t look like that, Polly. He’s the guilty party, not you.”
She was busying herself mopping up the coffee tray.
“Did you tell him I knew?”
“No. I obeyed your instructions faithfully. If it’s any comfort to you, that appeared to be the aspect which worried him most, but I think that without perjuring myself I left him happy on that score. I conveyed that I made the discovery quite alone. He believed me.”
“He must.” She was speaking almost to herself. “He came in here this morning.”
“Really?” Mr. Phillipson was shocked. “He’s a cool customer. He was trying to find out if I’d reported to you, I suppose? What a very good thing I hadn’t. That means he still has every incentive to come back tonight with the money as arranged. I promised him complete secrecy if he pays up.”
“Are you making him pay it back?”
“Of course I am, my dear girl.” He flushed with
“Did they, by jove?” He paused, his fork in mid-air. He was pleased but astonished. “Frederick’s niece. I wondered if they would. I didn’t know what to advise you to write. Well, good for them, Polly, eh? That settles a lot of problems, doesn’t it? I can see you took to her. I shall look forward to meeting her. When is she coming to London again?”
“She’s here now, only arrived this morning. I thought you might want to talk business so I gave her some lunch early and sent her out to look at the shops. She’ll be back before you go. Matt, you’re going to be startled.”
“Oh dear, am I?” He was suspicious at once. “If she’s a relative of Frederick’s, of course, she may have
any
peculiarity. What is it?” He permitted himself a little smile. “Two heads perhaps?”
“If she had I’d still love her. But no, Matt, she’s a beauty, a real true film-star knock-out. Really lovely. One of those faces which turn your heart over and a body like one of the little bits of nonsense you see on the screen. I’ve been most careful not to let on I noticed anything, because I do hate conceited kids, but there’s no getting away from it. You wait.”
He burst out laughing. “You’re clucking, Polly,” he said, “but I’m thankful to hear it. As I told both you and Frederick, blood is so much thicker than water when it comes to it.” He hesitated. “You’ll be completing that document, then?”
“Oh, I think so. I’d only got to put the name in, hadn’t I? You were right, Matt. I realised it when I saw her.”
“Oh well, I’m glad,” said Mr. Phillipson sighing. “I brought it along with me, as a matter of fact. Just slipped it in my pocket in case, don’t you know. I don’t want to hurry you, of course, but these things are better completed. We’ll see to it after lunch.”
She exchanged his plate for a clean one and uncovered the cheese. She was smiling to herself.
“You don’t really trust me, do you, Matt? You think I’m like any other silly old woman, liable to change my mind every ten minutes.”
“No no, I don’t,” he protested. “It’s not that at all. It’s simply that you and I are old-fashioned people in an old-fashioned situation, in which years of experience have proved that any young relative, however distant, is apt to turn out to be a better bet in the long run than the—er—stranger without the gates.”
Mrs. Tassie was making the coffee and did not answer immediately, but as she brought the tray to the table and re-seated herself she ventured a guarded question.
“You’re going to have a word with that boy for me this afternoon, aren’t you?”
“I saw him yesterday.”
“Gerry Hawker?” She had started and the dark fragrant liquid spilled over the saucer and into the tray. “You told me his appointment was for today.”
“So it was. The rascal came a day early, assuming no doubt that I shouldn’t be able to see him. However, I made time for him. Don’t look like that, Polly. He’s the guilty party, not you.”
She was busying herself mopping up the coffee tray.
“Did you tell him I knew?”
“No. I obeyed your instructions faithfully. If it’s any comfort to you, that appeared to be the aspect which worried him most, but I think that without perjuring myself I left him happy on that score. I conveyed that I made the discovery quite alone. He believed me.”
“He must.” She was speaking almost to herself. “He came in here this morning.”
“Really?” Mr. Phillipson was shocked. “He’s a cool customer. He was trying to find out if I’d reported to you, I suppose? What a very good thing I hadn’t. That means he still has every incentive to come back tonight with the money as arranged. I promised him complete secrecy if he pays up.”
“Are you making him pay it back?”
“Of course I am, my dear girl.” He flushed with
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