Read Online Tattletale Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner - Free Book Online
Authors: Gertrude Chandler Warner
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in her will.”
“If that’s true, why was a landscape painted over it, Margaret?” Edmund demanded. “A landscape with your signature on it.”
Margaret didn’t answer right away. She took a deep breath and tried to collect her thoughts. Finally she blurted out, “It’s not a self-portrait at all. I was the one who painted that picture of Milly. But I never did care much for it.” She shrugged a little. “That’s why I painted over it. What’s wrong with that?” she added rather sharply.
“Why would you paint a picture of somebody you didn’t know?” Benny asked, accusingly.
It was a good question. Margaret had made it clear she’d never met Milly Manchester. Why would she paint her portrait? Everyone waited expectantly for an answer.
Margaret struggled to find something to say. “I ... I meant I didn’t know Milly very well. She gave me a few tips on painting, that’s all.”
The Aldens looked at one another in surprise. They had been certain Margaret would confess when she saw Milly’s self-portrait. They hadn’t counted on her trying to bluff her way out of it.
But Henry wasn’t giving up so easily. “What about the snapdragons?”
Margaret blinked. “What ... ?”
“There’s a snapdragon in every one of those paintings,” stated Henry, watching Margaret closely.
Mrs. Spencer glanced around at the gallery walls. “Then they really are Milly’s paintings,” she said in an awed voice. “That was Milly’s signature, you know — a bright pink snapdragon.”
Edmund looked grim. “There seem to be some strange things going on around here.”
“I’ll tell you what’s strange.” Jem seemed amused. “It’s strange anybody would think those are my aunt’s paintings.” Then he shook his head sadly. “Her canvasses were destroyed in a fire, you know. Every last one of them. Such a terrible loss!”
“Maybe that’s just what you want everyone to believe,” Henry suggested.
Jem pretended to look hurt. “How can you accuse me of such a thing? I’m a respectable businessman. Why, that would be ... ”
“Dishonest?” finished Grandfather.
“Unless you can prove what you’re saying,” Jem responded in an icy voice, “we have nothing more to discuss.”
Edmund glanced over at Jem a little suspiciously, but did not say anything. Then Jessie caught a knowing look pass between Janice and Rachel.
Janice suddenly spoke up. “I believe I can prove it,” she said. “I have something in my purse I think you should see, Edmund.” With that, Janice disappeared into the back room. She returned a moment later, waving a photograph in the air.
Edmund’s face grew grim as he studied the snapshot. After a lengthy silence, he looked up. “How would you explain this, Margaret?” he demanded, passing the photograph to her. “As you can see, it clearly shows Milly Manchester painting her own portrait — with you watching nearby.”
Margaret’s face turned very red as she looked down at the snapshot.
“That sounds like your photograph, Mrs. Spencer,” observed Benny. “The one that was missing from your album.”
“But how in the world did —” Mrs. Spencer began.
Rachel interrupted. “I’ll explain everything to you later,” she whispered. And she gave her mother a reassuring pat on the back.
Jem inched his way closer to Margaret and looked over her shoulder. As he got a glimpse of the photograph, his mouth dropped open.
“Well, Margaret,” Edmund said sternly. “What do you have to say for yourself?”
Margaret didn’t answer. Instead, she wheeled around to face Jem. “This is all your fault!” she cried, almost shouting. “I told you not to come to the gallery. Didn’t I warn you it would look too suspicious? But oh, no, you had to come anyway, didn’t you? You just couldn’t resist giving one of your big sales pitches.” Margaret shook her finger at him. “You’re a fool, Jem Manchester! Your aunt was a brilliant artist. Her paintings would’ve
“If that’s true, why was a landscape painted over it, Margaret?” Edmund demanded. “A landscape with your signature on it.”
Margaret didn’t answer right away. She took a deep breath and tried to collect her thoughts. Finally she blurted out, “It’s not a self-portrait at all. I was the one who painted that picture of Milly. But I never did care much for it.” She shrugged a little. “That’s why I painted over it. What’s wrong with that?” she added rather sharply.
“Why would you paint a picture of somebody you didn’t know?” Benny asked, accusingly.
It was a good question. Margaret had made it clear she’d never met Milly Manchester. Why would she paint her portrait? Everyone waited expectantly for an answer.
Margaret struggled to find something to say. “I ... I meant I didn’t know Milly very well. She gave me a few tips on painting, that’s all.”
The Aldens looked at one another in surprise. They had been certain Margaret would confess when she saw Milly’s self-portrait. They hadn’t counted on her trying to bluff her way out of it.
But Henry wasn’t giving up so easily. “What about the snapdragons?”
Margaret blinked. “What ... ?”
“There’s a snapdragon in every one of those paintings,” stated Henry, watching Margaret closely.
Mrs. Spencer glanced around at the gallery walls. “Then they really are Milly’s paintings,” she said in an awed voice. “That was Milly’s signature, you know — a bright pink snapdragon.”
Edmund looked grim. “There seem to be some strange things going on around here.”
“I’ll tell you what’s strange.” Jem seemed amused. “It’s strange anybody would think those are my aunt’s paintings.” Then he shook his head sadly. “Her canvasses were destroyed in a fire, you know. Every last one of them. Such a terrible loss!”
“Maybe that’s just what you want everyone to believe,” Henry suggested.
Jem pretended to look hurt. “How can you accuse me of such a thing? I’m a respectable businessman. Why, that would be ... ”
“Dishonest?” finished Grandfather.
“Unless you can prove what you’re saying,” Jem responded in an icy voice, “we have nothing more to discuss.”
Edmund glanced over at Jem a little suspiciously, but did not say anything. Then Jessie caught a knowing look pass between Janice and Rachel.
Janice suddenly spoke up. “I believe I can prove it,” she said. “I have something in my purse I think you should see, Edmund.” With that, Janice disappeared into the back room. She returned a moment later, waving a photograph in the air.
Edmund’s face grew grim as he studied the snapshot. After a lengthy silence, he looked up. “How would you explain this, Margaret?” he demanded, passing the photograph to her. “As you can see, it clearly shows Milly Manchester painting her own portrait — with you watching nearby.”
Margaret’s face turned very red as she looked down at the snapshot.
“That sounds like your photograph, Mrs. Spencer,” observed Benny. “The one that was missing from your album.”
“But how in the world did —” Mrs. Spencer began.
Rachel interrupted. “I’ll explain everything to you later,” she whispered. And she gave her mother a reassuring pat on the back.
Jem inched his way closer to Margaret and looked over her shoulder. As he got a glimpse of the photograph, his mouth dropped open.
“Well, Margaret,” Edmund said sternly. “What do you have to say for yourself?”
Margaret didn’t answer. Instead, she wheeled around to face Jem. “This is all your fault!” she cried, almost shouting. “I told you not to come to the gallery. Didn’t I warn you it would look too suspicious? But oh, no, you had to come anyway, didn’t you? You just couldn’t resist giving one of your big sales pitches.” Margaret shook her finger at him. “You’re a fool, Jem Manchester! Your aunt was a brilliant artist. Her paintings would’ve
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