The Sittaford Mystery - Agatha Christie [88]
He dashed out of the room.
‘The live wire,’ said Emily.
Mr Duke spoke in his deep voice.
‘You’ve been rather a live wire yourself, Miss Trefusis.’
‘You have,’ said Ronnie admiringly.
‘Oh! dear,’ said Emily suddenly and dropped limply on a chair.
‘What you need is a pick-me-up,’ said Ronnie. ‘A cocktail, eh?’
Emily shook her head.
‘A little brandy,’ suggested Mr Rycroft solicitously.
‘A cup of tea,’ suggested Violet.
‘I’d like a spot of face powder,’ said Emily wistfully.
‘I’ve left my powder puff in the car. And I know I’m simply shining with excitement.’
Violet led her upstairs in search of this sedative to the nerves.
‘That’s better,’ said Emily dabbing her nose firmly. ‘What a nice kind. I feel much better now. Have you got any lipstick? I feel almost human.’
‘You’ve been wonderful,’ said Violet. ‘So brave.’
‘Not really,’ said Emily. ‘Underneath this camouflage I’ve been as wobbly as a jelly, with a sort of sick feeling in my middle.’
‘I know,’ said Violet. ‘I’ve felt much the same myself. I have been so terrified this last few days—about Brian, you know. They couldn’t hang him for murdering Captain Trevelyan, of course, but if once he had said where he was during that time, they would soon have ferreted out that it was he who engineered Father’s escape.’
‘What’s that?’ said Emily pausing in her facial repairs.
‘Father was the convict who escaped. That’s why we came here. Mother and I. Poor Father, he’s always—been queer at times. Then he does these dreadful things. We met Brian on the way over from Australia, and he and I—well—he and I—’
‘I see,’ said Emily helpfully. ‘Of course you did.’
‘I told him everything and between us we concocted a plan. Brian was wonderful. We had got plenty of money fortunately, and Brian made all the plans. It’s awfully hard to get away from Princetown, you know, but Brian engineered it. Really it was a kind of miracle. The arrangement was that after Father got away he was to go straight across country here and hide in the Pixie’s Cave and then later he and Brian were to be our two men servants. You see with our arriving so long beforehand we imagined we would be quite free from suspicion. It was Brian who told us about this place, and suggested us offering a big rent to Captain Trevelyan.’
‘I’m awfully sorry,’ said Emily—‘I mean that it all went wrong.’
‘It’s broken Mother up completely,’ said Violet. ‘I think Brian’s wonderful. It isn’t everybody who would want to marry a convict’s daughter. But I don’t think it’s really Father’s fault, he had an awful kick on the head from a horse about fifteen years ago, and since then he has been a bit queer. Brian says if he had a good counsel he would have got off. But don’t let’s talk about me any more.’
‘Can’t anything be done?’
Violet shook her head.
‘He’s very ill—the exposure, you know. That awful cold. It’s pneumonia. I can’t help feeling that if he dies—well—it may be best for him really. It sounds dreadful to say so, but you know what I mean.’
‘Poor Violet,’ said Emily. ‘It is a rotten shame.’
The girl shook her head.
‘I’ve got Brian,’ she said. ‘And you’ve got—’
She stopped embarrassed.
‘Ye-es,’ said Emily thoughtfully, ‘That’s just it.’
Chapter 31
The Lucky Man
Ten minutes later Emily was hurrying down the lane. Captain Wyatt, leaning over his gate, tried to arrest her progress.
‘Hi,’ he said, ‘Miss Trefusis. What’s all this I hear?’
‘It’s all true,’ said Emily hurrying on.
‘Yes, but look here. Come in—have a glass of wine or a cup of tea. There’s plenty of time. No need to hurry. That’s the worst of you civilized people.’
‘We’re awful, I know,’ said Emily and sped on.
She burst in on Miss Percehouse with the explosive force of a bomb.
‘I’ve come to tell you all about it,’ said Emily.
And straightaway she poured forth the complete story. It was punctuated by various ejaculations of ‘Bless us,’ ‘You don’t say so?’ ‘Well, I declare,’ from Miss Percehouse.
When Emily had finished her narrative, Miss Percehouse