Agatha Christie - Poirot 07 by Peril At End House

Author:Peril At End House [House, Peril At End]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-01-25T21:16:25.893000+00:00

Page 43

"You don't understand. I was angry! I wished it had been me! I wanted to be dead and there I was alive and perhaps to live for years! And Michael dead drowned far away in the Pacific."

"Pauvre enfant."

"I don't want to be alive. I don't want to live, I tell you!" she cried rebelliously.

"I know I know. To all of us, Mademoi-selle, there comes a time when death is pref-erable to life. But it passes sorrow passes and grief. You cannot believe that now, I know. It is useless for an old man like me to talk. Idle words that's what you think idle words." "You think I'll forget

,and marry someone else. Never I" She looked rather lovely as she sat up in bed, her two hands clenched and her cheeks bunaing. Poirot said gently, "No, no. I am not thinking anything of the kind. You are very lucky, Mademoiselle. You have been loved by a brave man .. a hero. How did you come to meet him?" "It was at Le Touquet last September. Nearly a year ago." "And you became engaged when?" "Just after Christmas. But it had to be a secret." "Why was that?"

"Michael's uncle old Sir Matthew Seton. He loved birds and hated women." "Ah, ce West pas raisonnable,t'' "Well I don't mean quite that. He was a complete .crank. Thought women ruined a man's life. And Michael was absolutely dependent on him. He was frightfully proud of Michael and it was he who financed the building of the Albatross and the expenses of the round-the-world flieht. It was the dear

If .Mi.'c.hael ha-d pull.ed it off--well, then he c.o.ct,hav, e. .ke.his. uncle anything. Andvc, u oJc]

zr matthew had still cut up rough, well, it wouldn't have really mattered. w-C,hae!- woul.d-.have been made--a kind of ,u .nero. s uncle would have comeround m the end."

"Yes, yes, I see."

. ut Michael smd t would be fatal if any. thing leaked o.u.t. We must keep it a dead secret. And I did. I never told anyone--not even Freddie." Po[rot groaned. "If only you had told me, Mademoiselle." Nick stared at him. "But what difference would it have made? It couldn't have anything to do with thesemysterious attacks on me? No, I'd promised Michael--and I. kept my word. But it .was.awful--the .anxiety, wo.ndering and getting tn a state the whole time. And everyone saying one was so nervy. And being unable to explain." "Yes, I comprehend all that."

"He was missing once before, you know.Crossing the desert on the way to India. That was pretty awful, and then after all. it

saying to myself that it would be the samethis time. Everyone said he must be dead--and I kept telling myself that he must be all

right really. And then last night..."

Her voice trailed away.

"You had hoped up till then?"

"I don't know. I think it was more that I refused to believe. It was awful never being able to talk to anyone."

"Yes, I can imagine that. Were you never

tempted to tell Madame Rice, for instance.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.