Appointment With Death - Agatha Christie [44]
‘When Miss King had broken the news, all the Boynton family accompanied her out of the marquee?’
‘Yes—no, I believe, now that you come to mention it, that the red-haired girl stayed behind. Perhaps you can remember, Miss Pierce?’
‘Yes, I think—I am quite sure she did.’
Poirot asked: ‘What did she do?’
Lady Westholme stared at him.
‘What did she do, M. Poirot? She did not do anything as far as I can remember.’
‘I mean was she sewing—or reading—did she look anxious—did she say anything?’
‘Well, really—’ Lady Westholme frowned. ‘She—er—she just sat there as far as I can remember.’
‘She twiddled her fingers,’ said Miss Pierce suddenly. ‘I remember noticing—poor thing, I thought, it shows what she’s feeling! Not that there was anything to show in her face, you know—just her hands turning and twisting.’
‘Once,’ went on Miss Pierce conversationally, ‘I remember tearing up a pound note that way—not thinking of what I was doing. “Shall I catch the first train and go to her?” I thought (it was a great-aunt of mine—taken suddenly ill). “Or shall I not?” And I couldn’t make up my mind one way or the other and there, I looked down, and instead of the telegram I was tearing up a pound note—a pound note—into tiny pieces!’
Miss Pierce paused dramatically.
Not entirely approving of this sudden bid for the limelight on the part of her satellite, Lady Westholme said coldly: ‘Is there anything else, M. Poirot?’
With a start, Poirot seemed to come out of a brown study. ‘Nothing—nothing—you have been most clear—most definite.’
‘I have an excellent memory,’ said Lady Westholme with satisfaction.
‘One last little demand, Lady Westholme,’ said Poirot. ‘Please continue to sit as you are sitting—without looking round. Now would you be so kind as to describe to me just what Miss Pierce is wearing today—that is if Miss Pierce does not object?’
‘Oh, no! not in the least!’ twittered Miss Pierce.
‘Really, M. Poirot, is there any object—’
‘Please be so kind as to do as I ask, madame.’
Lady Westholme shrugged her shoulders and then said with a rather bad grace:
‘Miss Pierce has on a striped brown and white cotton dress, and is wearing with it a Sudanese belt of red, blue and beige leather. She is wearing beige silk stockings and brown glacé strap shoes. There is a ladder in her left stocking. She has a necklace of cornelian beads and one of bright royal blue beads—and is wearing a brooch with a pearl butterfly on it. She has an imitation scarab ring on the third finger of her right hand. On her head she has a double terai of pink and brown felt.’
She paused—a pause of quiet competence. Then:
‘Is there anything further?’ she asked coldly.
Poirot spread out his hands in a wild gesture.
‘You have my entire admiration, madame. Your observation is of the highest order.’
‘Details rarely escape me.’
Lady Westholme rose, made a slight inclination of her head, and left the room. As Miss Pierce was following her, gazing down ruefully at her left leg, Poirot said:
‘A little moment, please, mademoiselle?’
‘Yes?’ Miss Pierce looked up, a slightly apprehensive look upon her face.
Poirot leaned forward confidentially.
‘You see this bunch of wild flowers on the table here?’
‘Yes,’ said Miss Pierce—staring.
‘And you noticed that when you first came into the room I sneezed once or twice?’
‘Yes?’
‘Did you notice if I had just been sniffing those flowers?’
‘Well—really—no—I couldn’t say.’
‘But you remember my sneezing?’
‘Oh yes, I remember that!’
Ah, well—no matter. I wondered, you see, if these flowers might induce the hay fever. No matter!’
‘Hay fever?’ cried Miss Pierce. ‘I remember a cousin of mine was a martyr to it! She always said that if you sprayed your nose daily with a solution of boracic—’
With some difficulty Poirot shelved the cousin’s nasal treatment and got rid of Miss Pierce. He shut the door and came back into the room with his eyebrows raised.
‘But I did not sneeze,’ he murmured. ‘So much for that. No, I did not sneeze.’
Chapter 6
Lennox