Dancing With Death by Joan Coggin

Author:Joan Coggin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Galileo Publishing
Published: 2022-07-11T08:14:16+00:00

CHAPTER 13

Duds went up to see Florence after lunch and came downstairs in tears. Lupin was sitting in the hall looking at a picture paper. She got up and gave her friend a hug. “It must have been awful for you,” she said. “But it won’t be so bad next time.”

“No, and I am glad that I have seen her. She is such a darling and I keep thinking of her and Jo as children and when they first grew up just before the war.”

Tommy had to go into Fordham that afternoon to see about various formalities connected with the inquest and the funeral and he offered to take Lupin with him. “Were you thinking of coming?” he asked his wife. “I shouldn’t if I were you.”

“No, I won’t,” she replied. “I think I will lie down. I feel as if I could sleep for months.”

“I should,” said Lupin. “Not for months but for the whole afternoon.”

Lupin and Tommy drove off together. “I told Gordon I’d see to things for him,” he explained. “He doesn’t like to leave Flo.”

“He seems a very devoted husband.”

“Yes, he is. Poor chap, I am sorry for him really, but he just happens to be the type that irritates me. He has been very decent about everything, and it must be rotten for him, I mean his sister-in-law and everything.”

“Was he fond of her?”

Tommy did not answer for a moment or two. He seemed intent on the road, though one milk van was the only bit of traffic in sight and that was a good way off. At last he said, “As a matter of fact, the whole thing is rather complicated and it would be a relief to tell you all about it.”

Lupin felt that she might compete with some of those well-known patent medicines famed for giving instant relief. At the sight of her, strong silent men and quiet reserved women were seized with a desire lo unburden themselves. “Then do,” she said aloud.

“Well, I am afraid Jo was fond of Gordon. I’m betraying her confidence in telling you this and, of course, I shouldn’t have done so if she had still been alive, but I know you are absolutely safe. And it isn’t as if you were anything to do with them, so to speak.”

“No, that is all right.”

“It was the night of the fancy dress dance, Monday. Goodness, it is only Wednesday now. It seems years ago. Well, when I was dancing with Jo, she suddenly said she was awfully tired and could we sit out somewhere. I said, ‘Let’s sit on the stairs,’ and she said, ‘No, let’s go somewhere more private.’ I was a bit surprised because I did not know her at all well. I thought she looked on Duds and me rather as back numbers. She had never put herself out to be particularly civil and I wondered ...”

“Whether she were going to try to add you to her list of admirers?”

“Don’t get it into your head that I am the sort of fellow who goes about thinking that all the girls are after him.

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