The Wilt Inheritance (2010) by Sharpe Tom (1928-)

Author:Sharpe, Tom (1928-) [Tom, Sharpe,]
Format: epub
Published: 1987-07-19T22:00:00+00:00

Seventeen

Thoughts of drowning were still on Clarissa’s mind once she was finally up and dressed, the next morning although it was a toss up whether she would rather drown her beastly husband after his horrible behaviour last night or – given her terrible headache – herself. Not that the moat was really deep enough. Edward had once tried to demonstrate how long one could hold one’s breath underwater, using some poor unfortunate from the village. On that occasion they were fortunate enough to be able to survive a mere three inches of water for really quite a long time.

When Wilt did not appear at the appointed hour she went in search of him and found him coming out of the walled garden. He’d been chatting there with the old man who looked after it and who reminded him of Coverdale on his allotment.

“Ah, there you are,” said Lady Clarissa as he crossed the wooden drawbridge to join her. “I wondered where you’d got to.”

“I’ve been looking for Edward – I saw him earlier but he seems to have disappeared again.”

“He’ll turn up soon enough.”

“I’m most terribly sorry to hear your sad news, Lady Clarissa. You have my condolences.”

“Thank you, Henry. I appreciate your sympathy, more than you know. Not everyone has been as kind. Now, shall we walk around the moat? I want you to tell me something.”

“That sounds like a good idea. What do you want to know?”

“Mrs Bale tells me you saw a caravan in the woods. Was it a gypsy one?”

“Difficult to say. It was largely hidden by the undergrowth and trees.”

“Was any occupant visible?”

Wilt thought for a moment.

“As a matter of fact, I did see a small fat woman hanging up some washing on a line nearby. I went straight back to the Hall and told Sir George, who said they must be trespassers and went out with a gun. I don’t like guns so I left the study and went up to the roof which is when I spotted Edward from a turret.”

“A small fat woman?”

“Yes. There are actually quite a few fat women round here, if you don’t mind my mentioning it. With the exception of you, of course, Lady Clarissa. I suppose it’s what they call living the good life? Anyway I particularly noticed as it seemed extraordinary that even the trespassers were, well, let’s say overweight.”

Lady Clarissa smiled to herself. She had a very shrewd idea who had been in that caravan and doubted very much that the so-called trespasser had been in any danger at all from Sir George’s gun. They walked on around the moat in silence. Finally they sat down on the bank and stared at the green water. Wilt tried to think of something to say but Lady Clarissa was obviously preoccupied with her own thoughts and he didn’t want to interrupt them. Above them loomed the hideous Hall, casting its shadow over the lawn. Lady Clarissa finally broke the silence.

“I think I’ll go up to my room and have another nap.

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