Murder by Proxy by Anne Morice

Author:Anne Morice
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dean Street Press
Published: 2021-05-20T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWELVE

“And what would your other questions have been, if you’d had a chance to slip them in?” Toby asked.

This was on Friday, soon after my arrival in the country. Anne had left the hospital two days earlier, but apart from a brief telephone call to satisfy myself that she was making good progress, no contact had been established with Braithwaite House and I had spent my first evening bringing Toby up to date with all the news and, in particular, with my long and informative conversation with Jane. He likes to keep pace with current events, so long as no personal intervention is required on his part.

“One of them has already been answered,” I replied. “I was dying to know whether in fact it had cheered Harry to learn that his precious new baby belonged to someone else.”

“And the answer?”

“Judging by his expression when he was talking to that deceitful redhead, I should guess that it was about the best news he’d ever had in his life.”

“Unless he didn’t believe a word of it, recognised it from a mile off as an innocent little gambit of Cath’s to rock the boat and tip Anne overboard?”

“In that case, he should have been sitting at the bedside, not waltzing around London on clandestine assignations with Jane Nicholson.”

“You may be doing him an injustice. I like to take the charitable view once in a while and they could have met there by chance. Numerous people do pop in and out of that shop for one reason or another.”

“There was no question of popping in and out this time. They looked set for the afternoon. And she was the one who was supposed to be in such a tearing hurry to keep an appointment with her solicitor. No, there’s no excuse for either of them. I consider they are behaving disgracefully.”

“And do you also consider there is any truth at all in that charming little story Cath came trotting out with so opportunely?”

“None whatever. I know Anne too well for that. She has her weaknesses, poor girl, but she is steady as a rock where Harry is concerned. Unfortunately, though, one can’t just dismiss it as invention on Cath’s part. It would follow that she had got round Tom to back her up and somehow, snake though he is, I don’t think he’d stoop as low as that. Or rather, I do, but not for her sake. He and Jane might have concocted it between them, I suppose, since it now appears that she also has a vested interest in discrediting Anne, but I can’t see Tom and Cath working as a team. He obviously dislikes her and is probably jealous of the influence she still has over Harry.”

“You almost make it sound as though he were in love with Harry himself?”

“Well, perhaps he is, in a way. Not in the sense you’re suggesting, but I do think he’s dazzled by all that culture and breeding. It’s a great feather in the cap

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