The Mystery of the Blue Train - Agatha Christie [6]
There was bewilderment as well as anger in her voice.
“He’ll listen to me,” said the millionaire grimly.
Ruth went on.
“I’ve hardly seen him for the last month. He goes about everywhere with that woman.”
“With what woman?”
“Mirelle. She dances at the Parthenon, you know.”
Van Aldin nodded.
“I was down at Leconbury last week. I—I spoke to Lord Leconbury. He was awfully sweet to me, sympathized entirely. He said he’d give Derek a good talking to.”
“Ah!” said Van Aldin.
“What do you mean by ‘Ah!’ Dad?”
“Just what you think I mean, Ruthie. Poor old Leconbury is a washout. Of course he sympathized with you, of course he tried to soothe you down. Having got his son and heir married to the daughter of one of the richest men in the States, he naturally doesn’t want to mess the thing up. But he’s got one foot in the grave already, everyone knows that, and anything he may say will cut darned little ice with Derek.”
“Can’t you do anything, Dad?” urged Ruth, after a minute or two.
“I might,” said the millionaire. He waited a second reflectively, and then went on. “There are several things I might do, but there’s only one that will be any real good. How much pluck have you got, Ruthie?”
She stared at him. He nodded back at her.
“I mean just what I say. Have you got the grit to admit to all the world that you’ve made a mistake? There’s only one way out of this mess, Ruthie. Cut your losses and start afresh.”
“You mean—?”
“Divorce.”
“Divorce!”
Van Aldin smiled drily.
“You say that word, Ruth, as though you’d never heard it before. And yet your friends are doing it all round you every day.”
“Oh! I know that. But—”
She stopped, biting her lip. Her father nodded comprehendingly.
“I know, Ruth. You’re like me, you can’t bear to let go. But I’ve learnt, and you’ve got to learn, that there are times when it’s the only way. I might find ways of whistling Derek back to you, but it would all come to the same in the end. He’s no good, Ruth; he’s rotten through and through. And mind you, I blame myself for ever letting you marry him. But you were kind of set on having him, and he seemed in earnest about turning over a new leaf—and well, I’d crossed you once, honey. . . .”
He did not look at her as he said the last words. Had he done so, he might have seen the swift colour that came up in her face.
“You did,” she said in a hard voice.
“I was too durned softhearted to do it a second time. I can’t tell you how I wish I had, though. You’ve led a poor kind of life for the last few years, Ruth.”
“It has not been very—agreeable,” agreed Mrs. Kettering.
“That’s why I say to you that this thing has got to stop!” He brought his hand down with a bang on the table. “You may have a hankering after the fellow still. Cut it out. Face facts. Derek Kettering married you for your money. That’s all there is to it. Get rid of him, Ruth.”
Ruth Kettering looked down at the ground for some moments, then she said, without raising her head:
“Supposing he doesn’t consent?”
Van Aldin looked at her in astonishment.
“He won’t have a say in the matter.”
She flushed and bit her lip.
“No—no—of course not. I only meant—”
She stopped. Her father eyed her keenly.
“What did you mean?”
“I meant—” She paused, choosing her words carefully. “He mayn’t take it lying down.”
The millionaire’s chin shot out grimly.
“You mean he’ll fight the case? Let him! But, as a matter of fact, you’re wrong. He won’t fight. Any solicitor he consults will tell him he hasn’t a leg to stand upon.”
“You don’t think”—she hesitated—“I mean—out of sheer spite against me—he might, well, try to make it awkward?”
Her father looked at her in some astonishment.
“Fight the case, you mean?”
He shook his head.
“Very unlikely. You see, he would have to have something to go upon.”
Mrs. Kettering did not answer. Van Aldin looked at her sharply.
“Come, Ruth, out with it. There’s something troubling you—what is it?”
“Nothing, nothing at all.”
But her voice was unconvincing.
“You are dreading the publicity, eh? Is that it? You leave it to me. I’ll put the whole thing through