By the Pricking of My Thumbs - Agatha Christie [45]
‘So they say–Lots of tales about it. Noises at nights. And groans. If you ask me, it’s death-watch beetle.’
‘Oh dear,’ said Tuppence. ‘It looked to me so nice and isolated.’
‘Much too isolated most people would say. Floods in winter–think of that.’
‘I see that there’s a lot to think about,’ said Tuppence bitterly.
She murmured to herself as she sent her steps towards The Lamb and Flag at which she proposed to fortify herself with lunch.
‘A lot to think about–floods, death-watch beetle, ghosts, clanking chains, absentee owners and landlords, solicitors, banks–a house that nobody wants or loves–except perhaps me…Oh well, what I want now is FOOD.’
The food at The Lamb and Flag was good and plentiful–hearty food for farmers rather than phony French menus for tourists passing through–Thick savoury soup, leg of pork and apple sauce, Stilton cheese–or plums and custard if you preferred it–which Tuppence didn’t–
After a desultory stroll round, Tuppence retrieved her car and started back to Sutton Chancellor–unable to feel that her morning had been fruitful.
As she turned the last corner and Sutton Chancellor church came into view, Tuppence saw the vicar emerging from the churchyard. He walked rather wearily. Tuppence drew up by him.
‘Are you still looking for that grave?’ she asked.
The vicar had one hand at the small of his back.
‘Oh dear,’ he said, ‘my eyesight is not very good. So many of the inscriptions are nearly erased. My back troubles me, too. So many of these stones lie flat on the ground. Really, when I bend over sometimes I fear that I shall never get up again.’
‘I shouldn’t do it any more,’ said Tuppence. ‘If you’ve looked in the parish register and all that, you’ve done all you can.’
‘I know, but the poor fellow seemed so keen, so earnest. I’m quite sure that it’s all wasted labour. However, I really felt it was my duty. I have still got a short stretch I haven’t done, over there from beyond the yew tree to the far wall–although most of the stones are eighteenth century. But I should like to feel I had finished my task properly. Then I could not reproach myself. However, I shall leave it till tomorrow.’
‘Quite right,’ said Tuppence. ‘You mustn’t do too much in one day. I tell you what,’ she added. ‘After I’ve had a cup of tea with Miss Bligh, I’ll go and have a look myself. From the yew tree to the wall, do you say?’
‘Oh, but I couldn’t possibly ask you–’
‘That’s all right. I shall quite like to do it. I think it’s very interesting prowling round in a churchyard. You know, the older inscriptions give you a sort of picture of the people who lived here and all that sort of thing. I shall quite enjoy it, I shall really. Do go back home and rest.’
‘Well, of course, I really have to do something about my sermon this evening, it’s quite true. You are a very kind friend, I’m sure. A very kind friend.’
He beamed at her and departed into the vicarage. Tuppence glanced at her watch. She stopped at Miss Bligh’s house. ‘Might as well get it over,’ thought Tuppence. The front door was open and Miss Bligh was just carrying a plate of fresh-baked scones across the hall into the sitting-room.
‘Oh! so there you are, dear Mrs Beresford. I’m so pleased to see you. Tea’s quite ready. The kettle is on. I’ve only got to fill up the teapot. I hope you did all the shopping you wanted,’ she added, looking in a rather marked manner at the painfully evident empty shopping bag hanging on Tuppence’s arm.
‘Well, I didn’t have much luck really,’ said Tuppence, putting as good a face on it as she could. ‘You know how it is sometimes–just one of those days when people just haven’t got the particular colour or the particular kind of thing you want. But I always enjoy looking round a new place even if it isn’t a very interesting one.’
A whistling kettle let forth a strident shriek for attention and Miss Bligh shot back into the kitchen to attend to it, scattering a batch of letters waiting for the post on the hall table.
Tuppence stooped and retrieved them, noticing as she put them back on the table that the topmost