Mrs Hudson and the Christmas Canary by Martin Davies

Author:Martin Davies
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Canelo
Published: 2022-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

That afternoon, we beat the carpet from Mr Holmes’ study.

It was no minor undertaking, for a good deal of heavy furniture had to be moved, and it was a very heavy carpet. But Mrs Hudson was quite capable of hefting considerable weights even without my help, and between us we had it hanging in the area outside the kitchen before the clocks had struck two. Down there, below street level, the low winter sun couldn’t reach us, but it was warm work and I felt better for it.

By three o’clock we had the carpet back upstairs, and by four o’clock, when it was dark outside, the study looked ship-shape, with the furniture back in place and a fire ablaze in the hearth.

‘For it’s another very cold night, Flottie,’ Mrs Hudson explained, ‘and it would be just like Mr Holmes to return home without any warning.’

While we worked, we talked, and I told her all about my meeting with Mr Alma Tadema, and about my rather less comfortable encounter with Mr Denham and Miss Lavinia Burrows.

‘I don’t think they’re very happy with Mr Holmes, ma’am – and they certainly weren’t happy with me. I didn’t explain about the boater very well, you see. And they don’t like Mr Holmes telling them that Mr Cortado is in no danger, because that note is really very sinister, and does make it seem that Mr Cortado left his house that day knowing that he was going to meet a terrible fate.’

‘That is certainly what the note suggests, Flotsam,’ Mrs Hudson agreed, giving the carpet another hefty whack.

‘In a way, though, I think they are willing to believe that Mr Cortado really did catch a train that day, because after receiving such a note it would make sense for him to suddenly disappear. But they wouldn’t even listen to anything about Frawling Hall, ma’am, or the Empingham Canary. They believe, if their friend is still alive, he must simply be fleeing for his life.’

‘Well, Flottie, it’s not impossible that they’re right. Maximillian Cortado might have committed some terrible indiscretion, and might have been forced to become a fugitive from an evil and ruthless gang. That is certainly the option that his friends would prefer to believe.’

‘But Mrs Hudson, ma’am, why would they prefer to believe that? It would mean Mr Cortado is in terrible danger!’

‘Indeed, Flotsam. However, it would seem there are really only two alternatives. His friends must either believe that he left home that day hoping to get away from a terrible but nameless threat, or that he left home hoping to get away from them. And if you are Miss Lavinia Burrows, I imagine you would probably prefer to believe the former than the latter.’

‘But the note, ma’am… The threatening note. It arrived in the post on the very day he disappeared.’

Mrs Hudson put down her carpet-beater and brushed her hands against her apron.

‘Yes, that note… I rather think, Flottie, that the great violinist is guilty of an unforgivable failure of courage.

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