Sparkling Cyanide - Agatha Christie [66]
‘Why un-Christian? It’s the Day of the Dead. In Paris people used to go and put flowers on the graves.’
‘Oh, I know, dear, but then they are Catholics, aren’t they?’
A faint smile twisted Iris’s lips. Then she said directly:
‘I thought, perhaps, you were talking of Anthony—Anthony Browne.’
‘Well,’ Lucilla’s twitter became very high and bird-like, ‘as a matter of fact we did just mention him. I happened to say, you know, that we know nothing about him—’
Iris interrupted, her voice hard:
‘Why should you know anything about him?’
‘No, dear, of course not. At least, I mean, well, it would be rather nice, wouldn’t it, if we did?’
‘You’ll have every chance of doing so in future,’ said Iris, ‘because I’m going to marry him.’
‘Oh, Iris!’ It was halfway between a wail and a bleat. ‘You mustn’t do anything rash—I mean nothing can be settled at present.’
‘It is settled, Aunt Lucilla.’
‘No, dear, one can’t talk about things like marriage when the funeral hasn’t even taken place yet. It wouldn’t be decent. And this dreadful inquest and everything. And really, Iris, I don’t think dear George would have approved. He didn’t like this Mr Browne.’
‘No,’ said Iris, ‘George wouldn’t have liked it and he didn’t like Anthony, but that doesn’t make any difference. It’s my life, not George’s—and anyway George is dead…’
Mrs Drake gave another wail.
‘Iris, Iris. What has come over you? Really that was a most unfeeling thing to say.’
‘I’m sorry, Aunt Lucilla.’ The girl spoke wearily.
‘I know it must have sounded like that but I didn’t mean it that way. I only meant that George is at peace somewhere and hasn’t got to worry about me and my future any more. I must decide things for myself.’
‘Nonsense, dear, nothing can be decided at a time like this—it would be most unfitting. The question simply doesn’t arise.’
Iris gave a sudden short laugh.
‘But it has arisen. Anthony asked me to marry him before we left Little Priors. He wanted me to come up to London and marry him the next day without telling anyone. I wish now that I had.’
‘Surely that was a very curious request,’ said Colonel Race gently.
She turned defiant eyes to him.
‘No, it wasn’t. It would have saved a lot of fuss. Why couldn’t I trust him? He asked me to trust him and I didn’t. Anyway, I’ll marry him now as soon as he likes.’
Lucilla burst out in a stream of incoherent protest. Her plump cheeks quivered and her eyes filled.
Colonel Race took rapid charge of the situation.
‘Miss Marle, might I have a word with you before I go? On a strictly business matter?’
Rather startled, the girl murmured ‘Yes,’ and found herself moving to the door. As she passed through, Race took a couple of strides back to Mrs Drake.
‘Don’t upset yourself, Mrs Drake. Least said, you know, soonest mended. We’ll see what we can do.’
Leaving her slightly comforted he followed Iris who led him across the hall and into a small room giving out on the back of the house where a melancholy plane-tree was shedding its last leaves.
Race spoke in a business-like tone.
‘All I had to say, Miss Marle, was that Chief Inspector Kemp is a personal friend of mine, and that I am sure you will find him most helpful and kindly. His duty is an unpleasant one, but I’m sure he will do it with the utmost consideration possible.’
She looked at him for a moment or two without speaking, then she said abruptly:
‘Why didn’t you come and join us last night as George expected you to do?’
He shook his head.
‘George didn’t expect me.’
‘But he said he did.’
‘He may have said so, but it wasn’t true. George knew perfectly well that I wasn’t coming.’
She said: ‘But that empty chair…Who was it for?’
‘Not for me.’
Her eyes half-closed and her face went very white.
She whispered:
‘It was for Rosemary…I see…It was for Rosemary…’
He thought she was going to fall. He came quickly to her and steadied her, then forced her to sit down.
‘Take it easy…’
She said in a low breathless voice:
‘I’m all right…But I don’t know what to do…I don’t know what to do.’
‘Can I help you?’
She raised