Miss Silver Comes To Stay by Patricia Wentworth

Author:Patricia Wentworth [Wentworth, Patricia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781453223772
Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
Published: 2011-03-24T16:00:00+00:00

TWENTY-SIX

MISS SILVER STAYED until after three o’clock. By the time she resumed her coat, her yellow fur tippet, and her warm black woollen gloves, one whole side of little Josephine Burkett’s woolly jacket had been completed and cast off. At least an inch of the second front had made its appearance as a pale blue frill. In her professional capacity it may be said that she now possessed quite an accurate picture of what had taken place the previous evening, in so far as this was known to Rietta Cray. A very short conversation with Fancy had elicited a few extra details. Fancy was, in fact, only too anxious to talk to someone who wasn’t the police and who was trying to help Carr and Miss Cray. In the circles of her origin there had been a wary feeling that however respectable you were you didn’t get matey with the police. When people live packed together in very crowded districts their lives and interests are closely knit. A touch upon one part of the fabric is felt throughout the whole—people hold together. It would never have occurred to Fancy that a friend might betray you to the police. She talked freely.

Miss Silver came away with quite a factual impression of Carr Robertson’s behaviour when he recognized James Lessiter’s photograph.

‘He did look dreadful—’ Fancy thrilled in retrospect—‘white as a sheet. I’m sure he could have gone on as a ghost without a bit of make-up. He regularly frightened me. Miss Cray came into the room, and she said, “Carr!” She was frightened too, you know. He did look dreadful. And she put her hand on his arm, but he didn’t take a bit of notice, just went on pointing at the picture. And then he said, “Is that James Lessiter?” and she said, “Yes.” And he said, “He’s the man I’ve been looking for—he’s the man who took Marjory away.” She was his wife, you know, and if you ask me, he was well rid of her, but that’s what he said—“He’s the man who took Marjory away. I’ve got him now!” and off out of the room and out of the house, and the doors banging. I knew he’d got a temper, but I’d never seen him like that before.’

Miss Silver coughed, and enquired whether Fancy had communicated these interesting particulars to Superintendent Drake. An outraged flush deepened the wild rose colour under the delicate skin.

‘Oh, no, Miss Silver, I didn’t! They’ve got a way of making you say things before you know you’ve done it, but I didn’t tell him what Carr said—I wouldn’t do that!’

Carr Robertson having gone out directly after lunch, Miss Silver had no opportunity of interviewing him. She considered that on the whole she had enough to think about. Making her way across the green, she observed that Mr. Ainger had emerged from the Vicarage Gate and was taking the path which skirted the village pond and came out a mere stone’s throw from the gate of the White Cottage.

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