The Glass Mask by Lenore Glen Offord

Author:Lenore Glen Offord
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781631940293
Publisher: Felony & Mayhem Press
Published: 2015-12-22T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVEN

“TODD,” GEORGINE SAID in a low voice when Nella had gone, “she does know how strong a case there is against Gilbert. Otherwise would she—grasp so eagerly at any other suggestion?”

He shook his head thoughtfully. “May be that, may be something else. Curious lot of undercurrents in this business.”

“I know.” Georgine repressed a shiver. “And queer things going on in this family. I think some of ’em are happening in this very house. Do you want to see something in the attic, that seemed interesting to me?”

“Certainly. I—by the way, is that door open from the dining room into the hall?” He moved silently to the archway, and nodded. “Hello there, Mrs. Crane. Did they let you out early this afternoon?”

“They did, rather,” said Mary Helen’s lilting voice from the staircase. Georgine wandered out, as if idly, into the hall, and saw her descending the last few steps. “You may see us around here for the next few days, Horace and me,” Mary Helen added, with a flashing smile. “When there’s something to come home for, you know! Well, hello, kiddie!” This was to Barby, who had just emerged from the door to the back stairs.

“Hello,” said Barby with horrid politeness, and no answering smile.

“Darling,” her mother said with sudden inspiration, “did you put away the things you were playing with this morning? All the dress-up clothes?”

Barby looked into space. “Well, maybe not quite all,” she said carefully.

“How many of the dresses did you leave out—lying on the floor?” Georgine knew her child, and her voice was firm.

“Well—all of ’em, I guess.”

“I was afraid of that. You go up now, before supper, and put every one back in the trunks.”

Barby’s agonized look couldn’t have been better if Todd had coached her in it. He stood beside her now, laying his hand briefly on the towhead. “If there are a lot of ’em, I might be induced to help,” he murmured.

“Gee, Toddy, could you be induced?” Barby said, stumbling over the words in her relief.

“All right, all right, I’ll come too,” said Georgine. As they went up the stairs she returned Mary Helen’s flashing smile, and waited until the tripping footsteps had died away in the sitting room before she muttered, “How long had she been outside, do you think, Todd?”

“No telling. You can always start coming downstairs the minute someone sees you.”

Georgine made a mental resolve that when she built her own home it would have no halls and very few doors. And no attic. But she didn’t mind the attic at all when Todd was with her. She thought, maybe it’ll be like this with everything I’m afraid of; a hardheaded Scot at one’s side, and the terrors vanish. Her determination to reduce everything about this marriage to its least sentimental value sometimes struck her as funny.

“Take a look at the mattress when you get the chance,” she said almost inaudibly. She watched him taking the look, glancing round and going with unerring instinct to the bureauwhatnot, on one of whose marble-topped shelves the hatpin lay, beside the faceted crystal of the dresser set.

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