Read Online Miss Marple's Final Cases by Agatha Christie - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Agatha Christie
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they do tend to dwell upon past scandals. But I’m curious to know why it upsets you so much?’
Clarice Vane bit her lip and flushed. She said, in acuriously muffled voice. ‘They—they look so happy. The Laxtons, I mean. They’re young and in love, and it’s all so lovely for them. I hate to think of it being spoiled by whispers and hints and innuendoes and general beastliness.’
‘H’m. I see.’
Clarice went on. ‘He was talking to me just now. He’s so happy and eager and excited and—yes, thrilled—at having got his heart’s desire and rebuilt Kingsdean. He’s like a child about it all. And she—well, I don’t suppose anything has ever gone wrong in her whole life. She’s always had everything. You’ve seen her. What did you think of her?’
The doctor did not answer at once. For other people, Louise Laxton might be an object of envy. A spoiled darling of fortune. To him she had brought only the refrain of a popular song heard many years ago, Poor little rich girl—
A small, delicate figure, with flaxen hair curled rather stiffly round her face and big, wistful blue eyes.
Louise was drooping a little. The long stream of congratulations had tired her. She was hoping it might soon be time to go. Perhaps, even now, Harry might say so. She looked at him sideways. So tall and broad-shouldered with his eager pleasure in this horrible, dull party.
Poor little rich girl—
III
‘Ooph!’ It was a sigh of relief.
Harry turned to look at his wife amusedly. They were driving away from the party.
She said, ‘Darling, what a frightful party!’
Harry laughed. ‘Yes, pretty terrible. Never mind, my sweet. It had to be done, you know. All these old pussies knew me when I lived here as a boy. They’d have been terribly disappointed not to have got a look at you close up.’
Louise made a grimace. She said, ‘Shall we have to see a lot of them?’
‘What? Oh, no. They’ll come and make ceremonious calls with card cases, and you’ll return the calls and then you needn’t bother any more. You can have your own friends down or whatever you like.’
Louise said, after a minute or two, ‘Isn’t there anyone amusing living down here?’
‘Oh, yes. There’s the County, you know. Though you may find them a bit dull, too. Mostly interested in bulbs and dogs and horses. You’ll ride, of course. You’ll enjoy that. There’s a horse over at Eglinton I’d like you to see. A beautiful animal, perfectly trained, no vice in him but plenty of spirit.’
The car slowed down to take the turn into the gatesof Kingsdean. Harry wrenched the wheel and swore as a grotesque figure sprang up in the middle of the road and he only just managed to avoid it. It stood there, shaking a fist and shouting after them.
Louise clutched his arm. ‘Who’s that—that horrible old woman?’
Harry’s brow was black. ‘That’s old Murgatroyd. She and her husband were caretakers in the old house. They were there for nearly thirty years.’
‘Why does she shake her fist at you?’
Harry’s face got red. ‘She—well, she resented the house being pulled down. And she got the sack, of course. Her husband’s been dead two years. They say she got a bit queer after he died.’
‘Is she—she isn’t—starving?’
Louise’s ideas were vague and somewhat melodramatic. Riches prevented you coming into contact with reality.
Harry was outraged. ‘Good Lord, Louise, what an idea! I pensioned her off, of course—and handsomely, too! Found her a new cottage and everything.’
Louise asked, bewildered, ‘Then why does she mind?’
Harry was frowning, his brows drawn together. ‘Oh, how should I know? Craziness! She loved the house.’
‘But it was a ruin, wasn’t it?’
‘Of course it was—crumbling to pieces—roof leaking—more or less unsafe. All the same I suppose it meantsomething to her. She’d been there a long time. Oh, I don’t know! The old devil’s cracked, I think.’
Louise said uneasily,
Clarice Vane bit her lip and flushed. She said, in acuriously muffled voice. ‘They—they look so happy. The Laxtons, I mean. They’re young and in love, and it’s all so lovely for them. I hate to think of it being spoiled by whispers and hints and innuendoes and general beastliness.’
‘H’m. I see.’
Clarice went on. ‘He was talking to me just now. He’s so happy and eager and excited and—yes, thrilled—at having got his heart’s desire and rebuilt Kingsdean. He’s like a child about it all. And she—well, I don’t suppose anything has ever gone wrong in her whole life. She’s always had everything. You’ve seen her. What did you think of her?’
The doctor did not answer at once. For other people, Louise Laxton might be an object of envy. A spoiled darling of fortune. To him she had brought only the refrain of a popular song heard many years ago, Poor little rich girl—
A small, delicate figure, with flaxen hair curled rather stiffly round her face and big, wistful blue eyes.
Louise was drooping a little. The long stream of congratulations had tired her. She was hoping it might soon be time to go. Perhaps, even now, Harry might say so. She looked at him sideways. So tall and broad-shouldered with his eager pleasure in this horrible, dull party.
Poor little rich girl—
III
‘Ooph!’ It was a sigh of relief.
Harry turned to look at his wife amusedly. They were driving away from the party.
She said, ‘Darling, what a frightful party!’
Harry laughed. ‘Yes, pretty terrible. Never mind, my sweet. It had to be done, you know. All these old pussies knew me when I lived here as a boy. They’d have been terribly disappointed not to have got a look at you close up.’
Louise made a grimace. She said, ‘Shall we have to see a lot of them?’
‘What? Oh, no. They’ll come and make ceremonious calls with card cases, and you’ll return the calls and then you needn’t bother any more. You can have your own friends down or whatever you like.’
Louise said, after a minute or two, ‘Isn’t there anyone amusing living down here?’
‘Oh, yes. There’s the County, you know. Though you may find them a bit dull, too. Mostly interested in bulbs and dogs and horses. You’ll ride, of course. You’ll enjoy that. There’s a horse over at Eglinton I’d like you to see. A beautiful animal, perfectly trained, no vice in him but plenty of spirit.’
The car slowed down to take the turn into the gatesof Kingsdean. Harry wrenched the wheel and swore as a grotesque figure sprang up in the middle of the road and he only just managed to avoid it. It stood there, shaking a fist and shouting after them.
Louise clutched his arm. ‘Who’s that—that horrible old woman?’
Harry’s brow was black. ‘That’s old Murgatroyd. She and her husband were caretakers in the old house. They were there for nearly thirty years.’
‘Why does she shake her fist at you?’
Harry’s face got red. ‘She—well, she resented the house being pulled down. And she got the sack, of course. Her husband’s been dead two years. They say she got a bit queer after he died.’
‘Is she—she isn’t—starving?’
Louise’s ideas were vague and somewhat melodramatic. Riches prevented you coming into contact with reality.
Harry was outraged. ‘Good Lord, Louise, what an idea! I pensioned her off, of course—and handsomely, too! Found her a new cottage and everything.’
Louise asked, bewildered, ‘Then why does she mind?’
Harry was frowning, his brows drawn together. ‘Oh, how should I know? Craziness! She loved the house.’
‘But it was a ruin, wasn’t it?’
‘Of course it was—crumbling to pieces—roof leaking—more or less unsafe. All the same I suppose it meantsomething to her. She’d been there a long time. Oh, I don’t know! The old devil’s cracked, I think.’
Louise said uneasily,
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