Death on the Nile - Agatha Christie [6]
“Don’t be ridiculous, Joanna!”
“Well, haven’t you got everything?”
“I suppose I have…It sounds rather disgusting, somehow!”
“Of course it’s disgusting, darling! You’ll probably get terribly bored and blasé by and by. In the meantime, enjoy the triumphal progress in the golden car. Only I wonder, I really do wonder, what will happen when you want to go down a street which has a board saying ‘No Thoroughfare.’”
“Don’t be idiotic, Joanna.” As Lord Windlesham joined them, Linnet said, turning to him: “Joanna is saying the nastiest things to me.”
“All spite, darling, all spite,” said Joanna vaguely as she got up from her seat.
She made no apology for leaving them. She had caught the glint in Windlesham’s eye.
He was silent for a minute or two. Then he went straight to the point.
“Have you come to a decision, Linnet?”
Linnet said slowly: “Am I being a brute? I suppose, if I’m not sure, I ought to say ‘No’—”
He interrupted her:
“Don’t say it. You shall have time—as much time as you want. But I think, you know, we should be happy together.”
“You see,” Linnet’s tone was apologetic, almost childish, “I’m enjoying myself so much—especially with all this.” She waved a hand. “I wanted to make Wode Hall into my real ideal of a country house, and I do think I’ve got it nice, don’t you?”
“It’s beautiful. Beautifully planned. Everything perfect. You’re very clever, Linnet.”
He paused a minute and went on: “And you like Charltonbury, don’t you? Of course it wants modernizing and all that—but you’re so clever at that sort of thing. You enjoy it.”
“Why, of course, Charltonbury’s divine.”
She spoke with ready enthusiasm, but inwardly she was conscious of a sudden chill. An alien note had sounded, disturbing her complete satisfaction with life. She did not analyse the feeling at the moment, but later, when Windlesham had left her, she tried to probe the recesses of her mind.
Charltonbury—yes, that was it—she had resented the mention of Charltonbury. But why? Charltonbury was modestly famous. Windlesham’s ancestors had held it since the time of Elizabeth. To be mistress of Charltonbury was a position unsurpassed in society. Windlesham was one of the most desirable peers in England.
Naturally he couldn’t take Wode seriously…It was not in any way to be compared with Charltonbury.
Ah, but Wode was hers! She had seen it, acquired it, rebuilt and redressed it, lavished money on it. It was her own possession—her kingdom.
But in a sense it wouldn’t count if she married Windlesham. What would they want with two country places? And of the two, naturally Wode Hall would be the one to be given up.
She, Linnet Ridgeway, wouldn’t exist any longer. She would be Countess of Windlesham, bringing a fine dowry to Charltonbury and its master. She would be queen consort, not queen any longer.
“I’m being ridiculous,” said Linnet to herself.
But it was curious how she did hate the idea of abandoning Wode….
And wasn’t there something else nagging at her?
Jackie’s voice with that queer blurred note in it saying: “I shall die if I can’t marry him! I shall die. I shall die….”
So positive, so earnest. Did she, Linnet, feel like that about Windlesham? Assuredly she didn’t. Perhaps she could never feel like that about anyone. It must be—rather wonderful—to feel like that….
The sound of a car came through the open window.
Linnet shook herself impatiently. That must be Jackie and her young man. She’d go out and meet them.
She was standing in the open doorway as Jacqueline and Simon Doyle got out of the car.
“Linnet!” Jackie ran to her. “This is Simon. Simon, here’s Linnet. She’s just the most wonderful person in the world.”
Linnet saw a tall, broad-shouldered young man, with very dark blue eyes, crisply curling brown hair, a square chin, and a boyish, appealing, simple smile….
She stretched out a hand. The hand that clasped hers was firm and warm…She liked the way he looked at her, the naïve genuine admiration.
Jackie had told him she was wonderful, and he clearly thought that she was wonderful