Read Online They Found Him Dead by Georgette Heyer - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Georgette Heyer
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coupled with one of his heart attacks."
She fixed him with one of her blank stares. "Pray, who said it was not?"
Timothy, scenting an ally, said: "I do."
Emily looked at him. "You do, do you? And why?"
"Well, partly because he was so frightfully rich, and partly because I had an instinct there was going to be a murder."
The word sounded ugly. Clement's eyes snapped behind his pince-nez; he said in an angry voice: "How dare you say such a thing? It seems to me you let your stupid imagination run away with you! I thought you were old enough to know better."
"Leave the boy alone," said Emily. "He's entitled to his opinion as much as you are to yours. So my son was murdered, was he, Timothy?"
"Well, I don't absolutely know he was," replied Timothy with a touch of caution, "but I do think it looks jolly suspicious. What's more, I'm pretty sure Mr. Roberts thinks so too."
"Roberts!" Clement exclaimed. "What has Roberts to do with it? You've no right to discuss this affair with a stranger! Really, I think it high time Jim came down and took you in hand!"
But Mr. James Kane, when he arrived, three days after Clement and Rosemary had taken up their residence at Cliff House, showed little disposition to take his stepbrother in hand. His energies were concentrated upon Miss Allison, who had had by that time such a surfeit of the Clement Kanes, Paul Mansell and Mr. Trevor Dermott that she greeted him with unfeigned pleasure. This circumstance led Mr. James Kane to leap to unwarrantable conclusions. He had the audacity to catch Miss Allison up in his arms and to kiss her, not once but several times. Miss Allison, apparently decided that it would be useless to struggle with anyone so large and muscular. She submitted to Mr. James Kane's rough handling, merely remarking as soon as she was able that she very much disliked people who grabbed ells when offered inches.
Mr. Kane only laughed, so Miss Allison, setting her hands against his chest and pushing hard, explained severely that her gladness at seeing him arose purely from boredom.
"My poor dear," said Mr. Kane lovingly.
"For goodness' sake let me go!" begged Miss Allison. "What on earth would anyone think if they saw us?"
"They'd think we were going to be married, and they'd be right," replied Mr. Kane.
"They'd be far more likely to think you were philandering with your great-aunt's companion," retorted Miss Allison.
"Vulgar little cat!" said Mr. Kane, tucking her hand in his arm. "Now that we've settled that, tell me what's been going on here."
"Nothing much. You saw pretty well what it was like at the funeral, didn't you?"
"General impression of piety, that's all. Who's got on your nerves? Rosemary?"
"No, your repulsive little brother. You'll have to sit on him. He will go about looking for clues and saying Mr. Kane was murdered."
Jim looked interested. "Really? What put that into his head?"
"The films he sees, of course. I do what I can to squash him, but Mrs. Kane encourages him, and so does Mr. Roberts—at least, I don't know that he actually encourages him, but I've got an uncomfortable feeling that he suspects Timothy's right."
"Half a shake!" Jim interposed. "Who is Roberts? Do I know him?"
"No, I shouldn't think so. He's the agent for the Australian firm which wants to do business with Kane and Mansell. Rather nice, and awfully decent to Timothy. They struck up an acquaintance after Mr. Kane's death. Timothy invites him here, and Clement dodges him when he comes."
"Why?"
"I don't know. Timothy, I hardly need say, has a theory that Mr. Roberts is on to something and Clement's afraid to meet him. Actually, I expect it's because Clement doesn't want to be badgered about the Australian business."
"Timothy seems to be doing what he can to liven things up," commented Jim. He had guided Miss Allison across the lawn towards a seat under a big elm tree and now invited her to sit down. Taking his place beside her, he said with an appraising look cast at her
She fixed him with one of her blank stares. "Pray, who said it was not?"
Timothy, scenting an ally, said: "I do."
Emily looked at him. "You do, do you? And why?"
"Well, partly because he was so frightfully rich, and partly because I had an instinct there was going to be a murder."
The word sounded ugly. Clement's eyes snapped behind his pince-nez; he said in an angry voice: "How dare you say such a thing? It seems to me you let your stupid imagination run away with you! I thought you were old enough to know better."
"Leave the boy alone," said Emily. "He's entitled to his opinion as much as you are to yours. So my son was murdered, was he, Timothy?"
"Well, I don't absolutely know he was," replied Timothy with a touch of caution, "but I do think it looks jolly suspicious. What's more, I'm pretty sure Mr. Roberts thinks so too."
"Roberts!" Clement exclaimed. "What has Roberts to do with it? You've no right to discuss this affair with a stranger! Really, I think it high time Jim came down and took you in hand!"
But Mr. James Kane, when he arrived, three days after Clement and Rosemary had taken up their residence at Cliff House, showed little disposition to take his stepbrother in hand. His energies were concentrated upon Miss Allison, who had had by that time such a surfeit of the Clement Kanes, Paul Mansell and Mr. Trevor Dermott that she greeted him with unfeigned pleasure. This circumstance led Mr. James Kane to leap to unwarrantable conclusions. He had the audacity to catch Miss Allison up in his arms and to kiss her, not once but several times. Miss Allison, apparently decided that it would be useless to struggle with anyone so large and muscular. She submitted to Mr. James Kane's rough handling, merely remarking as soon as she was able that she very much disliked people who grabbed ells when offered inches.
Mr. Kane only laughed, so Miss Allison, setting her hands against his chest and pushing hard, explained severely that her gladness at seeing him arose purely from boredom.
"My poor dear," said Mr. Kane lovingly.
"For goodness' sake let me go!" begged Miss Allison. "What on earth would anyone think if they saw us?"
"They'd think we were going to be married, and they'd be right," replied Mr. Kane.
"They'd be far more likely to think you were philandering with your great-aunt's companion," retorted Miss Allison.
"Vulgar little cat!" said Mr. Kane, tucking her hand in his arm. "Now that we've settled that, tell me what's been going on here."
"Nothing much. You saw pretty well what it was like at the funeral, didn't you?"
"General impression of piety, that's all. Who's got on your nerves? Rosemary?"
"No, your repulsive little brother. You'll have to sit on him. He will go about looking for clues and saying Mr. Kane was murdered."
Jim looked interested. "Really? What put that into his head?"
"The films he sees, of course. I do what I can to squash him, but Mrs. Kane encourages him, and so does Mr. Roberts—at least, I don't know that he actually encourages him, but I've got an uncomfortable feeling that he suspects Timothy's right."
"Half a shake!" Jim interposed. "Who is Roberts? Do I know him?"
"No, I shouldn't think so. He's the agent for the Australian firm which wants to do business with Kane and Mansell. Rather nice, and awfully decent to Timothy. They struck up an acquaintance after Mr. Kane's death. Timothy invites him here, and Clement dodges him when he comes."
"Why?"
"I don't know. Timothy, I hardly need say, has a theory that Mr. Roberts is on to something and Clement's afraid to meet him. Actually, I expect it's because Clement doesn't want to be badgered about the Australian business."
"Timothy seems to be doing what he can to liven things up," commented Jim. He had guided Miss Allison across the lawn towards a seat under a big elm tree and now invited her to sit down. Taking his place beside her, he said with an appraising look cast at her
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