In the Crypt with a Candlestick by Daisy Waugh

Author:Daisy Waugh
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pegasus Books
Published: 2021-10-05T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 28

There were too many corridors at Tode Hall. Though Alice knew the house well from childhood, it was many years since she’d last been in this section. When she followed India out of the staff room she was briefly disorientated. She didn’t know which way to turn, couldn’t hear India’s footsteps in either direction, so chose a route at random: took a left and a right, and right and a left, and found herself outside the Long Gallery.

The Hall was packed with burglar alarms and she was afraid that by stepping into the Long Gallery she might set one of them off. She paused, uncertain where to turn, was about to call out India’s name when she heard whispered, angry voices in the corridor behind her: Carfizzi and someone else – Dominic. She recognised his actorish vowels.

‘I’m offended, Mr Carfizzi. I don’t want it. What are you implying?’

She tiptoed closer, the better to hear.

But her figure must have cast a shadow, or maybe she made a sound. In any case, the two men sensed her presence and stopped talking. Mr Carfizzi, having rearranged his face into a polite smile, said he looked forward to welcoming her properly later, and stalked away.

Dominic was much more friendly. He held out his arms. There was a Molton Brown shopping bag hanging from one of them. Made him look a bit like a scarecrow. ‘Alice! Welcome to Tode Hall!’ he cried.

Alice didn’t want Dominic to put his arms around her, but it was too late. She endured the hug, and the sharp bag banging against her. Thanked him for his welcome.

‘Forgive my horrible manners!’ he said, releasing her at last. ‘I had every intention of dropping by yesterday, to welcome you to our happy clan. There’s a marvellous tree in my garden, weighed down with the most gorgeous apples, and I was going to deliver a little basket of them to your door…’ He gave her a charming, wolfish grin. ‘It would have been a cross between Red Riding Hood and one of those US suburban horror movies.’

Alice laughed.

‘You’re in the Gardener’s House aren’t you? Lucky thing! How are you finding it? A bit quiet after London probably. It took me years to get to grips with the peace and quiet. Now I couldn’t survive without it.’

Her first night had been neither quiet nor peaceful. But she certainly wasn’t going to tell him that. ‘It makes a nice change,’ she said blandly. ‘And it’s such a pretty house. You’re in the village, aren’t you? I think I was originally meant to have the cottage next to yours.’

‘That’s right! We would have been neighbours.’

‘Yes,’ said Alice, and smiled awkwardly. She didn’t know what else to add. She was still slightly dazzled by his famous face. ‘… Actually I was looking for India. She didn’t happen to come this way, did she?’

Dominic stopped acting. ‘Has something happened?’

‘Not really… Bit of a nasty scene in our first staff meeting.’

‘Oh, they’re foul to her! I wish I

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.