Read Online Sweet Poison by David Roberts - Free Book Online

for. Ned, give me a kiss. On second thoughts,’ she said, backing away, ‘I will wait to kiss you until you are cleaned up. Why don’t you go and wash off the worst of the . . . whatever it is you are covered with, Ned . . . and then come into the dining-room and tell us your adventures while you eat. Did you say there was cold ham, Bates?’
    ‘Yes, your Grace, and salad – and shall I bring in the claret too, your Grace?’
    ‘Yes, please do, Bates,’ said the Duke.
    ‘Miss Browne,’ said the Duchess, putting out her hand, ‘you have obviously been very kind.’ She hesitated. ‘You are not by any chance Verity Browne who I was expecting tomorrow?’
    ‘Yes, Duchess, but now I must go and clean up at the hotel.’
    ‘Certainly not!’ said the Duchess. ‘We would not hear of it, would we, Gerald? You must be our guest. Bates will show you where to wash and then come into the dining-room and have something to eat while we get a room made up for you. We all want to hear what has been happening so we will sit and watch you eat if that does not sound too like the zoo.’
    ‘Talking of animals,’ Edward said, ‘Miss Browne has with her an Aberdeen terrier.’
    ‘Shall I take it to the kitchen, miss?’ inquired Bates. ‘Cook will feed the animal and find a place for it to sleep.’
    ‘That’s very kind,’ said Verity, beaming at the butler. ‘I would be grateful if you could feed and water Max – that’s his name, by the way – but if the Duchess does not mind, he can sleep in my room. He’s very clean and he’ll curl up on the floor in the corner and not make any mess.’
    ‘Very good, miss,’ said the butler. To Edward’s amazement, Bates lifted the dog out of the Morgan and carried it off, the dog making no protest whatsoever.
    Ten minutes later everyone forgathered in the dining-room – even Hermione Weaver – anxious to hear Edward’s tale and take a good look at the strange girl who had succoured him. Edward, who had had a long and eventful day, was quite happy to leave most of the story-telling to Verity, who seemed quite unawed by the company in which she now found herself; she might regularly have burst in on dinner-parties in ducal mansions for all the effect it appeared to have upon her and yet there was nothing brash or vulgar in her evident pleasure at being the centre of attention. Edward, despite the pain in his leg, enjoyed watching this petite, tousle-haired girl, bright-eyed and pink in the face with excitement, digging into ham and salad while, between mouthfuls, she regaled the assembled company with the story of his brush with death as though she had actually been a witness of the accident. Where Edward might have played down the danger, she exaggerated the damage done to the car and the nearness with which the driver had avoided being seriously injured. Connie kept on glancing at her brother-in-law as if to gauge how much of the story was true, but Edward steadfastly refused to meet her eye. He was in considerable discomfort but he wanted to disguise this from her until the next day. It was unthinkable that he should get Dr Best out of bed, an elderly man on the point of retirement, who in any case would probably be able to do nothing but prescribe rest.
    Surprisingly, it was Hermione Weaver who seemed most excited by the new arrivals. It seemed to her mother that, after all, she was not as violently hostile to Edward as she had claimed. When she spoke to him directly it was almost shyly and she seemed even a little jealous that it had been Verity Browne’s good fortune to have come across the motorcar accident and not herself. She also seemed abashed that Verity should have a real job. In Hermione’s circle not many women had paid jobs. It was unthinkable if you were married, of course, and if you were rich and single as she was, there was so much to do that the idea of spending the day as secretary to some businessman or politician was not attractive. However, Blanche