Read Online Latter End by Patricia Wentworth - Free Book Online
Authors: Patricia Wentworth
Ads: Link
honey-coloured linen blended pleasantly with the flowers in their September bloom. The basket on her arm was brimmed with roses in all the shades of coppery pink.
Antony’s sense of humour stirred angrily. A row would be a most glaring incongruity. Well, perhaps it wouldn’t be necessary to have one. After all, Lois had a brain if she chose to use it. There really wasn’t any sense in upsetting Jimmy and stirring up all this fuss.
Lois smiled delightfully as he came up.
“How nice of you! I was just wanting someone to carry the basket.”
He took it.
“You like being waited on—don’t you?”
“Very much.”
“Jimmy tells me that you are arranging for quite a lot of it—butler and maids again.”
She snipped off another rose as she said carelessly,
“Yes—won’t it be a relief!”
Instead of dropping the rose into the basket she held it up for him to smell.
“Well? Won’t it?”
“Probably. At the moment Jimmy is considerably upset.”
She gave her rippling laugh.
“That’s because of Minnie. He’ll get over it. I hope you didn’t encourage him.”
“He didn’t need any encouragement. Look here, Lois, we’ve been pretty good friends, and we’ve never gone in for beating about the bush. Why are you outing Minnie? I know you told Jimmy that she wanted to go, but that won’t go down with me.”
“Darling, how fierce!”
“I want to know why you are doing it.”
She was snipping quite idly now, a leaf here, a dead bloom there. She threw him a smiling look.
“Well, you see, I think she’s been here long enough.”
“Why?”
“My dear Antony, she’s the born old lady’s companion, I’m not an old lady, and I don’t want a companion. To be perfectly frank, I don’t want Minnie. I don’t want her at meals, I don’t want to meet her about the house—she gets on my nerves. She can go and be a treasure to old Miss Grey.”
“And be eaten up alive like all the other companions she’s had for the last fifteen years or so!”
She laughed.
“Oh, Minnie won’t mind that. She just asks to be trodden on.”
Antony was silent for a moment. Then he said,
“Do you know, Lois, I wouldn’t push Jimmy too far over this. I’ve known him all my life, and he can be—unexpected. I’ve got an idea that this is one of the things it would be better—” He hesitated for a word, and she took him up.
“Better for whom, darling?”
He said,
“You.”
“Really, Antony!”
“Lois, listen! Jimmy thinks the sun rises and sets by you— you’ve got him eating out of your hand. You think you know him—you think he’s easy, and so he is—up to a point. I’m telling you you’d better not drive him past that point. If you do, he may be—incalculable.”
She gave a scornful laugh.
“All this fuss about Minnie Mercer! As if she mattered twopence!”
His eyes dwelt on her with a curious appraising look.
“Don’t be stupid. You’re not a stupid woman, so don’t pretend you are. Jimmy’s got his loyalties. I’m telling you that you’d better respect them. If you don’t you may find you have smashed something you can’t put together again. If you don’t want Minnie to meals, give her a sitting-room of her own—she’d love it. She wouldn’t want to meddle with your parties—she’d be only too pleased to keep out of the way. And she’d make herself useful. I know she did all the mending for Marcia and the house.”
“Thank you—Gladys Marsh does all the sewing I want. And she amuses me. You should hear her on the village. No, it’s no use, Antony. And you had better not go on, or you’ll make me angry. I don’t want to be angry.” She looked at him sweetly and broke into a laugh. “I’d have been raging if it had been anyone else, but you mustn’t take advantage of my having a soft corner somewhere for you.” She came closer. “I have, you know.”
He said in a hard, even tone,
“Minnie has been here a long time.”
The clear, natural colour
Antony’s sense of humour stirred angrily. A row would be a most glaring incongruity. Well, perhaps it wouldn’t be necessary to have one. After all, Lois had a brain if she chose to use it. There really wasn’t any sense in upsetting Jimmy and stirring up all this fuss.
Lois smiled delightfully as he came up.
“How nice of you! I was just wanting someone to carry the basket.”
He took it.
“You like being waited on—don’t you?”
“Very much.”
“Jimmy tells me that you are arranging for quite a lot of it—butler and maids again.”
She snipped off another rose as she said carelessly,
“Yes—won’t it be a relief!”
Instead of dropping the rose into the basket she held it up for him to smell.
“Well? Won’t it?”
“Probably. At the moment Jimmy is considerably upset.”
She gave her rippling laugh.
“That’s because of Minnie. He’ll get over it. I hope you didn’t encourage him.”
“He didn’t need any encouragement. Look here, Lois, we’ve been pretty good friends, and we’ve never gone in for beating about the bush. Why are you outing Minnie? I know you told Jimmy that she wanted to go, but that won’t go down with me.”
“Darling, how fierce!”
“I want to know why you are doing it.”
She was snipping quite idly now, a leaf here, a dead bloom there. She threw him a smiling look.
“Well, you see, I think she’s been here long enough.”
“Why?”
“My dear Antony, she’s the born old lady’s companion, I’m not an old lady, and I don’t want a companion. To be perfectly frank, I don’t want Minnie. I don’t want her at meals, I don’t want to meet her about the house—she gets on my nerves. She can go and be a treasure to old Miss Grey.”
“And be eaten up alive like all the other companions she’s had for the last fifteen years or so!”
She laughed.
“Oh, Minnie won’t mind that. She just asks to be trodden on.”
Antony was silent for a moment. Then he said,
“Do you know, Lois, I wouldn’t push Jimmy too far over this. I’ve known him all my life, and he can be—unexpected. I’ve got an idea that this is one of the things it would be better—” He hesitated for a word, and she took him up.
“Better for whom, darling?”
He said,
“You.”
“Really, Antony!”
“Lois, listen! Jimmy thinks the sun rises and sets by you— you’ve got him eating out of your hand. You think you know him—you think he’s easy, and so he is—up to a point. I’m telling you you’d better not drive him past that point. If you do, he may be—incalculable.”
She gave a scornful laugh.
“All this fuss about Minnie Mercer! As if she mattered twopence!”
His eyes dwelt on her with a curious appraising look.
“Don’t be stupid. You’re not a stupid woman, so don’t pretend you are. Jimmy’s got his loyalties. I’m telling you that you’d better respect them. If you don’t you may find you have smashed something you can’t put together again. If you don’t want Minnie to meals, give her a sitting-room of her own—she’d love it. She wouldn’t want to meddle with your parties—she’d be only too pleased to keep out of the way. And she’d make herself useful. I know she did all the mending for Marcia and the house.”
“Thank you—Gladys Marsh does all the sewing I want. And she amuses me. You should hear her on the village. No, it’s no use, Antony. And you had better not go on, or you’ll make me angry. I don’t want to be angry.” She looked at him sweetly and broke into a laugh. “I’d have been raging if it had been anyone else, but you mustn’t take advantage of my having a soft corner somewhere for you.” She came closer. “I have, you know.”
He said in a hard, even tone,
“Minnie has been here a long time.”
The clear, natural colour
Similar Books
