Alibi for Isabel by Mary Roberts Rinehart

Author:Mary Roberts Rinehart [Roberts Rinehart, Mary]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781784088163
Publisher: Head of Zeus Ltd
Published: 2013-07-16T19:07:00+00:00

Alibi for Isabel

SALLY ALWAYS FELT BETTER in church after the general confession. It gave her a sort of moral support, as though it said that not only she, Sally Fielding, had committed a sin; but that all other men and women were sinners. The remission too was comforting. It promised forgiveness in exchange for repentance, and Sally had been faithfully repenting for the last twelve years.

She rose slowly from her knees. The hassock had been small and hard, and her knees hurt a little. As usual she sat down on her purse, and the children giggled. Scott put out a hand to quiet them, and she glanced at him. Looking at him had somewhat the same effect on her as had the service. He gave her the same sense of safety. But there was something wrong with him just then. His face had set, suddenly, as though something had shocked him.

She watched him furtively through the sermon. He did not relax, she thought. He sat staring forward as though he did not dare to turn his head. The children wriggled and squirmed, but he paid no attention. Then, during the Te Deum, she glanced around the neighboring pews, and she saw Isabel. It was certainly Isabel, Isabel in a gay red hat, looking sober and devout. But Isabel just the same. Sally swayed and caught the back of the pew in front of her. Only that held her upright. She felt as though her heart had stopped.

When she sat down Anne was whispering to her.

“Daddy looks funny, doesn’t he?”

“Hush, Anne. Don’t talk.”

Her brain was whirling. After twelve years, she thought desperately. Twelve years of building a life with Scott, of bearing the children, of good deeds and repentance, and now the past had caught up with her. She never doubted that. Why else was Isabel there in this small suburban church, fifty miles from where she belonged? And Isabel, slightly behind her and to the right, was watching her. She could feel her eyes on her, interested and calculating. She did not want to go out when the service ended. She straightened Anne’s hat and found Johnny’s cap on the floor. Scott was waiting patiently in the aisle. She had to pass him, and as she did so she felt his hand on her shoulder.

“Forget it,” he said in a low voice. “Why on earth should she scare you?”

She braced herself and tried to stop trembling.

“What’s she doing here?” she asked.

There was no answer, of course, and to her relief the red hat was already near the church door. Perhaps it was coincidence after all. The rector in his cassock greeted them with a smile.

“How is my favorite family?” he said cheerily. “And how’s the Victory garden?”

Scott said something, but Sally could give him only a faint smile. Isabel was waiting on the walk outside, a tall showy woman with bold eyes and slightly faded blonde hair. She did not look ominous. She was merely waiting, casual and poised. She had always been very sure of herself.

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.