Winter of Despair by Cora Harrison

Author:Cora Harrison [Cora Harrison]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Severn House Publishers
Published: 2019-07-10T16:00:00+00:00

TWELVE

Sesina was puzzled; puzzled and worried. She had thought that today, after all the fuss yesterday, would be a quiet day. Mr Charles was off, supposedly in Dr Beard’s house, doing well, according to Mr Wilkie, though he had a twinkle in his eye. Inspector Field was keeping out of the way for the moment. Busy with another crime, she hoped. She seemed to remember Mr Dickens saying that there were only about ten detective policemen like Inspector Field so he must be busy, she thought. Anyway, it was good to be without him in the house.

But things weren’t settled yet. There was another policeman in the house and he seemed to be watching her all the time. Not fooling. Not trying to mess about with her. Not trying to snatch a kiss or anything like that. No, he seemed to be just following her everywhere, peeping around corners, asking her questions about the artists that came to the house. And about the dead one. That Mr Milton-Hayes. Had he ever used her as a model? Did she go to his house? Every time he laid eyes on her the young man came up with a new question.

Something was going on. It had started with Dolly. She had been a long time up in her mistress’s room, even longer than usual. Perhaps there was nothing too strange in that fact of itself. Everyone in the kitchen understood that this was a time when the two women had long chats. The cook often tossed her head and made spiteful remarks about it to Sesina and when Dolly came back, Sesina would tease her and try to needle her into revealing what the conversation had been all about. But Dolly never would say. Would give a little smile and look smug.

But this morning it had been an extra-long time and when she had come back Dolly was looking quite different from her usual self-satisfied smugness. The woman had been looking very worried. And she had avoided Sesina’s eye, flushing up and looking away when the second housemaid had caught her eye. Almost as though she were afraid that a secret would leak out if she didn’t take care to keep her mouth shut.

And then the bell had gone. All three women had looked up at the wall of bells. The main bedroom.

‘For you,’ said Dolly to Sesina. She had expected the summons: that was plain.

‘How do you know? She usually wants you. Anyway it was just one bell.’ Sesina knew that she was being stubborn. It was obvious that Dolly knew that Sesina was going to be summoned. Still, thought Sesina, let’s hear it. She was a fluent and imaginative liar, but it was always best to know in advance what the accusation was going to be. She ran through various scenarios in her mind. If it was anything about going out early in the morning, well, then, she would just tell Mrs Collins that she had been sent by Mr Wilkie. It had to be that.

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