Murder in the Bookshop by Anita Davison

Author:Anita Davison [Davison, Anita]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Boldwood Books

‘I’m glad you came to live with me, Aunt Violet,’ Hannah said over a rare boiled egg and toast with real butter. ‘But if you prefer to go back to your own house, I’ll understand. Eva probably misses you.’

‘Are you throwing me out?’ Her aunt glanced up quickly.

‘Of course not.’ Hannah dipped a finger of toast into the runny yolk. ‘You came to live with me to placate my mother, but you must miss your own house…’

Hannah’s house by the river with its view of Chiswick Eyot had become her sanctuary since Gerald’s death. Of course, at first she had had to find the courage to confront her mother and insist living alone was not a scandal because she was unmarried, and also remind her that many young women worked outside the home since the war began, taking jobs which had traditionally been a male prerogative.

‘You always were happy in your own company, which surprised us all when you accepted Gerald’s proposal.’

‘That was a mistake.’ At her aunt’s enquiring look, she hesitated. ‘It was wrong of me to encourage his courtship, but with Mother pushing me towards Darius with the determination of Mrs Bennett, it was a bid for my independence. He waited until five minutes before his train left for the Front before suggesting we get engaged. How could I refuse with his entire platoon watching? That would have been heartless.’

‘I didn’t realise. I imagined some sort of romantic setting and an emotional proposal.’

‘It was romantic, sort of. Victoria station early on a spring morning; the air misty from smoke from the engine and Gerald looking dashing in his uniform leaning out of the train window.’

‘He rather put you on the spot, didn’t he?’

Hannah nodded. ‘I feel terrible he’s dead, but I could never have made him happy.’

‘Then take comfort from the fact he was unaware of how you really felt. Or was he?’

‘How could I do that to him?’ Hannah fiddled with the cuff of her blouse. ‘When he applied for a commission, he said it would change his life. He thought my wanting to change mine by working in the bookshop was an unladylike fad.’

‘If it’s actual change you wanted, you could have joined me in the WSPU.’ Her aunt batted her eyelashes in mock innocence.

‘I endorse women’s emancipation as much as anyone, Aunt Violet, but some of the things you got up to shock even me. Damaging property and committing arson are counterproductive to getting one’s point across.’

‘We had to do something dramatic to make Asquith listen, but he ignored us anyway.’ Her aunt played with the gold locket around her neck, her cheeks pink with annoyance. ‘Hannah, about what you said earlier. Do you seriously believe Cavan might have been responsible for Lily-Anne’s death?’ Her eyes glittered with mischief. ‘A man who gave you a pair of diamond earrings?’

‘Yes. No. I don’t know. If I really believed he was responsible, I’d hand them back immediately.’

‘That’s rather drastic, don’t you think?’

‘Don’t tease, Aunt Violet. There’s something odd about the whole Monty–Lily-Anne situation.

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