The Floating Admiral - Agatha Christie [45]
“H’m!” said the Inspector. He was trying to remember how long it took to get a special license. He seemed to remember dimly that it required at least a day’s notice. “Maybe they had planned to get married to-day in any case.”
“Then they ought to have altered their plan,” replied Mrs. Emery. “Disgusting, I call it. But I shouldn’t wonder if they had, come to think of it. Maybe that’s what Mr. Holland was so anxious to see the Admiral about last night.”
“Oh, yes. He rang up from Whynmouth, didn’t he?”
“He did. I took the message myself. Wanted to see the master very urgent. I said as him and Miss Elma was over at the Vicarage and wouldn’t be back till late—for I expected they’d stop to eleven o’clock or such, playing cards or something of that. The Vicar don’t mind playing cards for all he’s such a man for services and saints’ days, but that’s only to be expected, for fancy dress and candles is not what you could call religion, don’t you think so yourself? Well, I said to him, they won’t be back till eleven, I said, saying what I thought right at the time, which I couldn’t be expected to know they would be early that night of all nights. One can but act for the best. So I said, why not go over to the Vicarage, but Mr. Holland says, ‘no, he’ll leave it and perhaps he might come up later.’”
“And did he?”
“Not that I know of, but there, I’m a sound sleeper, thank God, and need to be, the work there is in this house. Emery, he’s supposed to do the cleaning, but half the time I has to do it after him, and as for Jennie, she’s a good girl but run off her feet by Miss Elma as won’t do step or stitch for herself. Cooking is what I was engaged to do and with Miss Elma breakfasting in bed and getting up at all hours, I’ve only got one pair of hands.”
“Quite so,” said Rudge, “and very capable ones I’m sure they are, Mrs. Emery.”
“I’m sure I said when I come here as I ought to have a kitchen-maid under me, with all these brick floors. That’s the worst of these old-fashioned houses. But I’ve no complaint of the Admiral, for a rich man he was not, not but what she might have done something to help him if she had liked, for she’s got plenty, so I’m told. And what she did with her allowance it’s difficult to say, not that it’s any of my business, for it’s not, but nobody can’t help their thoughts. And spend it on dress she did not, nobody could say that against her, barring an evening frock now and again, or a handsome coat. But them’s not the things as takes the money, as you’ll know well enough if you’re a married man. It’s the shoes and gloves and bags and stockings and jumpers. And I’m sure Miss Elma bothered as little about them as a young lady could do. That French maid she had, she used to complain dreadful of the shabby way Miss Elma went about.”
“Ah, yes—the French girl. What was she like?”
“Girl?” said Mrs. Emery. “They calls ’em all girls nowadays. But if ever she sees forty again, I’ll be surprised. A nice little thing enough, to speak to, and spoke English beautiful. But I don’t like a maid as is too intimate with her mistress. I’ve seen Miss Elma catch that woman’s eye sometimes, when the master happened to be a bit put out and looks pass between them which did not ought to pass between persons in their stations of life. Let servants stick together and masters stick together—that’s my motto, but for young ladies to be taking their maids into their confidences about the master of the house is unbecoming, to my way of thinking. It’s my belief there was some trouble about it, or why did Ma’amselle go off so quick without her wages? There’s the front door bell, who’ll that be, I wonder? I hope Emery is answering it, as it’s his place to do, but he’s that flustered with all this. You’ll have noticed, I dare say, as his head’s not very strong. Now, I’m different. I’m one of the noticing sort. I may have been only a month with the Admiral, but a woman that’s experienced—and I’ve been in many places in