After The Funeral Part 23

"When was that exactly ?"

"Let me see--it must have been one, two--nearly three

weeks before his death was announced."

"Did he seem--ill ?"

"Well, no, I wouldn't say he seemed exactly ill. lie had a very hearty vigorous manner. Mrs. Lansquenet was very surprised to see him. She said, ' Well, really, Richard, after all these years l' And he said, 'I came to see for myself exactly how things are with you.' And Mrs. Lansquenet said, ' I'm all right.' I think, you know, she was a teeny bit offended by his turning up so casually--after the long break.

Anyway Mr. Abernethie said, ' No use keeping up old griev-ances.

You and I and Timothy are the only ones left--and n.o.body can talk to Timothy except about his own health.'

And he sad, Perre seems to have. made yo happy, so t seems I was in the wrong. There, will that content you ? '

Very nicely he said it. A handsome man, though elderly, of course."

"How long was he here ?"

"He stayed for lunch. Beef olives, I made. Fortunately it was the day the butcher called."

Miss Gilchrist's memory seemed to be alraost wholly culinary.

"They seemed to be getting on well together ?"

"Oh, yes."

Susa paused and then said:

"Was Aunt Cora surprised when--he died ?"

"Oh yes, it was quite sudden, wasn't it ?"

"Yes, it was sudden... I meant--she was su,.rprised. He hadn't given her any indication how ill he was.'

"Oh--I see what you mean." Miss Gilchrist paused a moment. "No, no, I think perhaps you are right. She did

say that he had got very old--I think she said senile..."

"But you didn't think he was senile ?"

"Well, not to look at. But I didn't talk to him much, naturally I left them alone together."

Susan looked at Miss Gilchrist speculatively. Was Miss Gilchrist the kind of woman who listened at doors ? She was honest, Susan felt sure, she wouldn't ever pilfer, or cheat over the housekeeping, or open letters. But inquisitiveness can drape itself in a mantle of rect.i.tude. Miss Gilhrist might

85

have found it necessary to garden near an open window, or to dust the hall... That would be within the permitted lengths. And then, of course, she could not have helped hearing someth, ing...

"You didn t hear 'any of their conversation ? ' Susan asked.

Too abrupt. Miss Gfichrist flushed angrily.

"No, indeed, Mrs. Banks. It has never been my custom to listen at doors I"

That means she does, thought Susan, otherwise she'd just say "No."

Aloud she said: "I'm so sorry, Miss Gilchrist. I didn't mean it that way. But sometimes, in these small flimsily built cottages, one simply can't help hearing nearly everything that goes on, and now that they are both dead, it's really rather important to the fam,y to know just what was said at that meeting between them.'

The cottage was anything but flimsily built--it dated from a st.u.r.dier era of building, but Miss Gilchrist accepted the bait, and rose to the suggestion held. out.

"Of course what you say is quite true, Mrs. Banks---this is a very small place and I do appreciate that yu would want to know what pa.s.sed between them, but really I m afraid I can't help v,e? much. I think they were talking about Mr. Abernethie s health--and certain--well, fandes he had.

He didn't look it, but he must have been a sick man and as is so often the case, he put his ill-health down to s/e. A common symptom, I believe. My aunt"

Miss Gilchrist described her aunt.

Susan, like Mr. Entwhistle, side-tracked the aunt.

"Yes," she said. "That is just what we thought. My uncle's servants were all very attached to him and naturally they are upset by his thinking" She paused.

"Oh, of course I Servants are vy touchy, about anything of that kind. I remember that my aunt- Again Susan interrupted.

"It was the servants he suspected, I suppose ? Of poisoning him, I mean ?"

"I don't know... I--really"

Susan noted her confusion.

"It wasn't the servants. Was it one particular person ? '

"I don't know, Mrs. Banks. Really I don't know"

But her eye avoided Susan's. Susan thought to herself that Miss Gilchrist knew more than she was willing to admit.

It was possible that Miss Gilchrist knew a good deal ...

86

Deciding not to press the point for the moment, Susan said: "What are your own plans for the future, Miss Gilchrist ?"

"Well, really, I was going to speak to you about that, Mrs. Banks. I told Mr. Entwhistle I would be willing to stay

on until everything here was cleared up."

"I know. I'm very grateful."

"And I wanted to ask you how long that was likely to be, because, of course, I must start looking about for another post."

Susan considered.

"There's really not very much to be done .h. ere: In a couple of days I can get things sorted and notiiy the auco tioneer."

"You have decided to sell up everything, then ?"

"Yes. I don't suppose there will be any difficulty in letting the cottage ?"

"Oh, no--people will queue up for it, I'm sure. There are so,!ew co,ttages to rent. One nearly ,ways has to buy."

So it s all very simple, you see. Susan hesitated a moment before sa'ying, "I wanted to tell you--that I hope you'll accept three months' salary."

"That's very generous of you, I'm sure, Mrs. Banks. I do appreciate it. And you would be prepared to--I mean I could ask youmif necessarymto--to recommend me ? To say that I had been with a relation of yours and that I had

--proved satisfact,o, ry ?"

"Oh, of course.

"I don't know whether I ought to ask it." Miss Gilchrist's hands began to shake and she tried fo steady her voice. "But would it be possible not to--to mention the circ.u.mstances--

or even the nam ?"

Susan stared.

"I don't understand."