Deadly Dowager, The by Greenwood Edwin

Author:Greenwood, Edwin [Greenwood, Edwin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Crime, Thriller, Novel
Publisher: Valancourt Books
Published: 1934-01-16T03:00:00+00:00

12. THE “FEET”

Major Beamish awoke the next morning with a feeling that all had not gone well the previous evening. He surveyed the yellow tinge in his eyes with nausea and quickly went in search of that essential hair of the dog that had bitten him. He needed it. His liver had been the scene of civil disturbance and why, oh, why, had he been so careless about his light reading?

Arabella had, of course, had her breakfast in bed, and it was getting on for midday before she made a ceremonial appearance on Caraway’s arm. A bath chair had been imported from Norwich (on hire at five shillings a week, plus carriage) for it was understood that Her Ladyship expected to be gently propelled for an hour before luncheon. It was also to be used to convey her about the village, and there it stood in the hall with a bearskin rug (one of the Major’s trophies) ready to receive its precious though temporary burden.

The Major greeted Arabella effusively and with boisterous good humour, rather marred by his yellow and bloodshot eyes. She was gracious in return and announced that she had slept well, been most comfortable. So far, so good. If she had been offended by his slight lapse of the previous evening or by discovering his taste in reading, the Major decided that she was at least “a sport” and volunteered personally to push the bath chair should she decide to take a little outing. So a little later they slowly paraded the bleak garden: Arabella completely covered with the bearskin, over the edge of which her face peered, surmounted by her enormous bonnet. The Major pointed out the places where the beauties were in summer and showed her rows of vegetables, roots and rather evil-smelling winter greens. Arabella nodded cheerfully and said “very nice” at intervals. Her attitude cheered the Major and the gentle exercise cheered his liver, which Heaven knows needed it. They came to a halt in a patch of sunshine which, though wintry, was yet warm and encouraging. The Major came round from the back and took his stand at Arabella’s side.

“It’s a pity, Major,” she said, “that you have no son and heir to carry on after you, to look after your good work.” She spoke as if she expected the row of greens to make a bow.

“I never had time for marriage, Lady Engleton.”

“And yet you must have loved.”

The Major coughed. He had done that all right, but didn’t want to talk about it.

“My dear son Claude often used to wonder whether or not to appoint you guardian of his son, the present Lord Engleton. I could have wished he had, at times. Henry has been a grave responsibility for an old woman.”

Claude had never said such a thing in his life, but as he was not there to contradict, it made no difference. She spoke so winningly that the Major almost wished it, too.

“A fine lad, I thought,” he said, “a true de Birkett; a true son too, of my dear sister.

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.