Read Online The Coldstone by Patricia Wentworth - Free Book Online Page B

them in that low terrifying mutter. It made her heart beat so hard that she missed the next words. And all of a sudden he was looking at her and saying the things that he had said fifty years ago. It was only for a minute. If it had lasted more than a minute, she was sure she would have fainted. But half way through a sentence he stopped; his hand lifted from the sheet and fell again; his voice changed. “Well—well—it’s a long time ago—you can have them now—I kept them—” And then, whilst she leaned forward terrified, his eyes closed and he leaned back against his pillows, and an awful endless silence closed down upon the room. Neither of them moved until Nurse came back.
    Miss Arabel felt as if that silence was weighing on her now. She made the greatest effort she could.
    â€œMy father was telling me something—and he stopped—I think he was tired. After you came back, did he—talk any more?”
    â€œOh yes—he talked.” Miss Collins tossed her fluffy head a little.
    â€œCan you tell me what he said, please?”
    The hard blue eyes stared.
    â€œBut, Miss Colstone, he talked all the time—you know he did. I couldn’t tell you what he said.”
    Miss Arabel squeezed her hands together very hard. What was she to say? She must find out. But how could she find out without saying things? Her voice became an agitated thread of sound.
    â€œThere was something he was talking about. If he mentioned any name—or anything about papers—letters—” The word hardly sounded.
    â€œI don’t think he did. Was it something you wanted to find?” There was frank curiosity in the tone.
    â€œNo,” said Miss Arabel quickly. “I’m afraid I’m not at liberty. If—if he said anything—afterwards—I should be very grateful—”
    Miss Collins sat thinking. She wanted to get rid of Miss Arabel, because she was expecting a friend to tea. She was, in point of fact, expecting Mr. Garry O’Connell, and she wanted to change her nurse’s uniform and put on the new rose-pink jumper which she had bought in the sales. She was quite unaware of the fact that when she took off her uniform most of her claims to prettiness went with it.
    â€œDid he—say anything?” said Miss Arabel with a little gasp.
    Miss Collins frowned. Mr. O’Connell would be here in half a shake.
    â€œWell, he did say something.” Miss Arabel turned perfectly white. “He said something I thought queer—and I don’t know if it’s what you want or not, but he did say your name.” She looked sharply at Miss Arabel’s little pinched face. “He said ‘Arabel’ two or three times, and then he said ‘Never,’ and stopped. And after a bit he said it again quite loud. And after a bit he said, ‘Nobody’ll ever find it.’ And he said, ‘Safe—safe—quite safe.’ Now would that be likely to refer to what you wanted to know about?”
    â€œYes,” said Miss Arabel faintly, “it might.”
    â€œWell, he said a lot of things like that.”
    â€œIf you could tell me—”
    â€œBut, Miss Colstone, he talked for hours, and it was that sort of thing on and off the whole time. He said one awfully odd thing though. Is there anyone called David in your family?”
    â€œNo—no.”
    â€œWell, that’s funny. He said it several times.”
    â€œWhat did he say?”
    Nurse Collins laughed.
    â€œIt sounds quite off it unless you’ve got anyone by that name in the family—but then he wasn’t talking sense most of the time.”
    â€œWhat did he say?”
    â€œHe said, ‘Under the shield of David.’ He kept on saying it—but perhaps it was just a religious way of talking.”
    â€œYes—oh yes—and was that all?”
    â€œAll you could make any sense out of,” said Nurse Collins