Read Online The Evil That Men Do.(Inspector Faro Mystery No.11) by Alanna Knight - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Alanna Knight
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voice broke. ‘Dead. I had not the slightest notion that he was dying. He had bouts of indigestion and suffered from bad headaches. And I used to, God help me, tease him, about drinking too much port. Tease him about - getting old. Oh - oh.’
And sobbing she steadied herself against the staircase and Faro took her into his arms, held her against his shoulder.
‘There, there, my dear. There, there.’
Suddenly he was aware of Maud Langweil’s face regarding them from the top landing. Slowly she descended the stairs, holding firmly to the banister. Deep mourning’s black bombazine and flowing crepe did not become her, its dramatic veils enveloped her, making a pale face and lips paler, light eyes lighter. It drained every shred of living colour from her countenance
She took Grace from him. ‘There, my darling, hush now. Don’t distress yourself.’
‘Mama, you should be resting. Remember what Dr Wiseman said,’ she added with a reproachful look at Faro.
‘I’m quite rested, darling. I gather Mr Faro is here to see me. We will talk in the sitting room.’
Grace regarded her mother’s face anxiously. ‘Are you sure, Mama?’
‘Of course I’m sure. No, I don’t need you, dearest. Go to the kitchen and get Molly to give you a nice soothing drink. Now, off you go, there’s a good girl.’
As he followed her upstairs, she said: ‘I am looking forward very much to meeting Rose. Grace tells me she is absolutely charming. I am sure they will be great friends. After all there is little difference in their ages - or so it seems to those of us who are middle-aged.’
In the sitting room, the door firmly closed, Maud said, ‘Please be seated, Mr Faro. I am most anxious to give you all the help I can to clear up this unfortunate misunderstanding regarding my late husband. I do realise that this is no ordinary enquiry for you either, and it is as painful and as difficult for you as for any of the family. As you know Vince is already like a son to me, the son I never had.’
She paused to smile at him sadly. ‘That I gather we have in common, for you also lost a son long ago. You must try not to think of us now as your enemies, your suspects, Mr Faro. We are indeed your friends and Vince’s. And if my late husband did not die from the disease we believed was killing him, then we are as eager to co-operate with the law and find whatever, or whoever, ended his life.’
Up to now Maud had made no impression upon him. At their few meetings, she had seemed something of a nonentity among the bright and shining Langweils. Obedient to her husband’s commands in public, the dutiful hostess, the devoted mother but with little conversation that was not merely a yes or no, an echo of her spouse’s sentiments. A woman not encouraged to suffer original thoughts or express opinions of her own.
Now he looked at her with new admiration. This was not the widow he had dreaded meeting, devastated, distraught, eternally weeping. Maud Langweil it seemed was one of those admirable women dismissed as frail, spoilt by a lifetime of riches, that men expect to collapse under adversity and are constantly surprised, as he was, that instead they find new fortitude in facing up to life’s tragedies.
‘Will you take tea with me?’
Faro noticed that the tea tray had already been in service and presumably Dr Wiseman had accepted the invitation he now declined. If Mrs Langweil could have read his thoughts and his expression, she would have realised at that moment he would have greeted with enthusiasm something considerably stronger than the China tea on offer.
‘Very well.’ Maud sat in the high-backed chair, her face in shadow. ‘What can I tell you, Mr Faro, that would be of help to you? I understand you believe my late husband was poisoned.’
Chapter Six
Faro was taken aback by her directness. He suspected that she was mistress of the situation despite Grace’s claim that her mother was too distressed to talk to him. He was
And sobbing she steadied herself against the staircase and Faro took her into his arms, held her against his shoulder.
‘There, there, my dear. There, there.’
Suddenly he was aware of Maud Langweil’s face regarding them from the top landing. Slowly she descended the stairs, holding firmly to the banister. Deep mourning’s black bombazine and flowing crepe did not become her, its dramatic veils enveloped her, making a pale face and lips paler, light eyes lighter. It drained every shred of living colour from her countenance
She took Grace from him. ‘There, my darling, hush now. Don’t distress yourself.’
‘Mama, you should be resting. Remember what Dr Wiseman said,’ she added with a reproachful look at Faro.
‘I’m quite rested, darling. I gather Mr Faro is here to see me. We will talk in the sitting room.’
Grace regarded her mother’s face anxiously. ‘Are you sure, Mama?’
‘Of course I’m sure. No, I don’t need you, dearest. Go to the kitchen and get Molly to give you a nice soothing drink. Now, off you go, there’s a good girl.’
As he followed her upstairs, she said: ‘I am looking forward very much to meeting Rose. Grace tells me she is absolutely charming. I am sure they will be great friends. After all there is little difference in their ages - or so it seems to those of us who are middle-aged.’
In the sitting room, the door firmly closed, Maud said, ‘Please be seated, Mr Faro. I am most anxious to give you all the help I can to clear up this unfortunate misunderstanding regarding my late husband. I do realise that this is no ordinary enquiry for you either, and it is as painful and as difficult for you as for any of the family. As you know Vince is already like a son to me, the son I never had.’
She paused to smile at him sadly. ‘That I gather we have in common, for you also lost a son long ago. You must try not to think of us now as your enemies, your suspects, Mr Faro. We are indeed your friends and Vince’s. And if my late husband did not die from the disease we believed was killing him, then we are as eager to co-operate with the law and find whatever, or whoever, ended his life.’
Up to now Maud had made no impression upon him. At their few meetings, she had seemed something of a nonentity among the bright and shining Langweils. Obedient to her husband’s commands in public, the dutiful hostess, the devoted mother but with little conversation that was not merely a yes or no, an echo of her spouse’s sentiments. A woman not encouraged to suffer original thoughts or express opinions of her own.
Now he looked at her with new admiration. This was not the widow he had dreaded meeting, devastated, distraught, eternally weeping. Maud Langweil it seemed was one of those admirable women dismissed as frail, spoilt by a lifetime of riches, that men expect to collapse under adversity and are constantly surprised, as he was, that instead they find new fortitude in facing up to life’s tragedies.
‘Will you take tea with me?’
Faro noticed that the tea tray had already been in service and presumably Dr Wiseman had accepted the invitation he now declined. If Mrs Langweil could have read his thoughts and his expression, she would have realised at that moment he would have greeted with enthusiasm something considerably stronger than the China tea on offer.
‘Very well.’ Maud sat in the high-backed chair, her face in shadow. ‘What can I tell you, Mr Faro, that would be of help to you? I understand you believe my late husband was poisoned.’
Chapter Six
Faro was taken aback by her directness. He suspected that she was mistress of the situation despite Grace’s claim that her mother was too distressed to talk to him. He was
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