The Gentleman Detective: A Colonel Bainbridge Mystery (The Gentleman Detective Mysteries Book 1) by Evelyn James

Author:Evelyn James [James, Evelyn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Red Raven Publications
Published: 2021-02-04T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

The car was duly refuelled by a man from a local engineering firm who knew about cars. Victoria pestered him for information on how to perform the procedure herself in the future and though he was obviously reluctant to explain the process to a woman, her persistence proved his downfall. With this new knowledge secured, Victoria felt content to clamber back into the car feeling smug that she could now look after the car herself. Bainbridge levered himself up beside her, wondering why they had to make the damn things so high.

“Where do we go?” Victoria asked, donning a giant pair of goggles to protect her eyes from dust and insects as they went along.

Bainbridge started to discuss a route to Underwood’s home when he noticed the goggles.

“Are they necessary?”

“High speed motoring is a serious business. I must protect my eyes.”

“Oh,” Bainbridge considered this. “Ought I to have a pair too?”

“Oh no,” Victoria said amused at his suggestion. “You are only a passenger.”

Bainbridge was not entirely sure how to take that remark.

They pulled away from the path and Bainbridge began to direct them to the address. It was a nice day to just sit in a car and rest. Bainbridge could almost feel quite dopey as he warmed in his seat. He wouldn’t mind dozing off. But then he glanced over and saw the tobacconist that Houston favoured, and his good humour was gone, replaced by that nasty hollow feeling in his stomach. A feeling he feared would never be gone. How could you ever come to terms with losing someone who had been so fundamental to your life? Bainbridge had always felt better about himself, about the world when he was in Houston’s presence, now that was gone, and it seemed as if all he saw about him was bleakness and despair. He rather wanted to go home and shut himself up in his study and never, ever come out again.

“You have gone very quiet,” Victoria said gently.

Bainbridge cleared his throat. It was tight and dry.

“I… hm.”

Victoria was watching him out of the corner of her eye. She could make a fair guess at what was bothering him.

“It comes over you quite unexpected, grief,” she said.

Bainbridge did not look her way.

“It is understandable, you know. I will gladly listen if you wish to talk about it,” she added.

“What is there to say? Houston is dead and there is nothing I can do about it.”

Victoria did not answer him until she had negotiated a tight corner.

“We can talk about how you are feeling.”

“I do not talk about that,” Bainbridge sniffed. “I shall be fine.”

Victoria gave him a sideways look that was altogether too knowing. Bainbridge shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

“I know it is not what people are supposed to do, talk about their feelings,” she said. “Yet, I rather fancy that is more for the benefit of the listener than for the person unburdening themselves. I think we assume others will be embarrassed or inconvenienced by our emotions, should we speak of them, and so we shy away from doing so.

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