Murder at Cleve College by Merryn Allingham

Author:Merryn Allingham [Allingham, Merryn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-07-24T00:00:00+00:00

17

Flora had managed a quick sandwich and brought a cup of tea back to her desk when Alice bustled through the door, her mackintosh gleaming wet and her grey curls hanging damply beneath what had proved an inadequate rain hat.

‘Alice, you’re soaked through!’ she exclaimed, taking in fully the bedraggled figure. ‘Though it’s lovely to see you.’

‘I’m on my way up to the Priory, but thought I’d pop in for a minute. I had the morning off. It should have been a whole day – I missed taking my usual Thursday last week – but there’s a party comin’ in this evenin’. Cocktails, Sally said, and I need to make sure Hector has got them canapés sorted.’

‘I’m sure he will have,’ Flora said pacifically.

‘Well, I’m not. Most of the time, his head’s in the clouds. Chasin’ my niece, for one thing, or dreamin’ about buying some new-fangled sword or other.’

‘He’s still involved in the re-enactment society?’

‘Talks about nothin’ else. The latest thing he’s on about is Sal goin’ with him to one of those stupid battles he fights. This Sunday. You’d think takin’ her to the pictures was enough, but now he wants her chargin’ round a pretend battlefield.’

If Flora knew anything of Sally Jenner, it seemed highly unlikely she would enjoy battlefields, pretend or otherwise. It would be a sure way of ensuring the girl lost interest in Hector and, if anything, Alice should be encouraging her visits to the re-enactment society. But Flora kept the thought to herself.

‘It sounds innocent enough,’ was all she said. ‘Where’s he fighting the next battle?’

Alice tutted. ‘Kingston. That’s where they’re practisin’. At the rec there. It’s for a big show next spring, would you believe? They’re goin’ to enact the battle of Lewes for the umpteenth time. Nearly seven hundred years ago and they’re still rememberin’ it.’ Alice plumped herself down on the window seat. ‘I did hear you’ve been gaddin’ over to Lewes yourself.’

‘Last Friday.’

‘Really? You didn’t mention anythin’ at supper that night,’ her friend said, a little piqued.

‘It was just a lunch invitation,’ she said airily, not wanting to upset Alice with the news of a new friend. ‘Not terribly important. Someone I met in a bookshop there asked me over.’

Alice hauled herself to her feet. ‘Sally should stick to business. And you should stay in the village,’ she said firmly. ‘Some people aren’t keen on Rose Lawson at the All’s Well.’

Flora’s eyebrows lifted. ‘Really? Who would that be?’ It sounded like tittle-tattle, hurtful tittle-tattle at that, and she was surprised that Alice had repeated it.

‘Elsie Flowers, for instance. She’s not at all struck on Rose serving her.’

Elsie was an avid reader of crime and a regular at the bookshop. ‘I expect Rose told her to stop reading books off the shelf and buy one instead.’

‘Elsie does buy books,’ Alice countered. ‘I’ve seen a shelf of ’em in her cottage.’

‘She does,’ Flora agreed, ‘but she’ll read three in the All’s Well for every one she buys. Rose seems to me to be doing an excellent job.

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