The Catherine-Wheel - Patricia Wentworth - Miss Silver 16 by The Catherine Wheel--3S(v1)(html)html

Author:The Catherine Wheel--3S(v1)(html)html [Wheel--3Shtml, The Catherine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

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CHAPTER 22

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She was on the fifth or sixth step up. She had both hands on the balustrade and stood there pressed up against it looking down into the hall. It was impossible to say whether she had been going up or coming down. When she saw John Higgins she poked with her long neck and said in a discontented voice, "It's quite terribly cold, isn't it? I've been in my room, but it is so very chilly there. Do you suppose there is a fire in the lounge?"

He wondered whether it was she who had opened the door to see if there was a fire in the dining-room. He said gravely,

"Yes, there is a fire in the lounge. Did you think there would be one in the dining-room? Was it you who opened the door just now?"

She was immediately very much flustered. The three separate chains which she wore, one of rather large gold links, one of sky-blue Venetian beads, and one of some kind of brown berry strung upon scarlet thread, all jiggled and clanked. The berries became entangled with each other and mixed up with a very large silver brooch which was rather like a starfish. She came down the stairs, plucking nervously to disentangle them.

"Oh, no. I've been up in my room. I didn't really feel--I mean it's so very awkward, isn't it? Such a dreadful thing to have happened--and no knowing who did it. So if you are with anyone, you can't help thinking 'Suppose it was him'--or her, or them, as the case might be. So I went up to my room, but when you are alone you can't help having the feeling that there might be someone under the bed or in the wardrobe, even if you've looked there before--or perhaps creeping along the passage with their shoes off." She shivered, and the chains all clanked again. "So I thought perhaps the lounge. Do you know if there is anyone there?"

He opened the door for her. There was certainly a fire, and a comfortable chair drawn up to it. But Mrs. Bridling, who had been sitting there, had got tired of waiting and gone home. There was Mr. Bridling to see to, and the Sunday dinner to cook.

There was only one person in the room, and that was Freddy Thorpe-Ennington. He was standing by a window immediately opposite the door with his hands in his pockets looking out. He turned round as Mildred Taverner came in, stared at her as if he had never seen her before, and went back to looking out of the window.

John Higgins shut the door upon this ill-assorted couple. Eily had come out of the dining-room. She stood there, troubled and uncertain. He took her by the arm, and along through the baize door by the other way into Castell's study.

Inspector Crisp was on his feet, and Miss Silver was putting away her knitting. Frank Abbott, who had been making a note, looked up, pencil in hand.

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