They do it with mirrors - Agatha Christie [4]
‘And you’d actually had a premonition that day in church?’
‘I wouldn’t call it a premonition. It was founded on fact — these things usually are, though one doesn’t always recognise it at the time. She was wearing her Sunday hat the wrong way round. Very significant, really, because Grace Lamble was a most precise woman, not at all vague or absent-minded — and the circumstances under which she would not notice which way her hat was put on to go to church were really extremely limited. Her father, you see, had thrown a marble paperweight at her and it had shattered the looking-glass. She had caught up her hat, put it on, and hurried out of the house. Anxious to keep up appearances and for the servants not to hear anything. She put down these actions, you see, to “dear Papa’s Naval temper,” she didn’t realise that his mind was definitely unhinged. Though she ought to have realised it clearly enough. He was always complaining to her of being spied upon and of enemies — all the usual symptoms, in fact.’
Mrs Van Rydock gazed respectfully at her friend.
‘Maybe, Jane,’ she said, ‘that St Mary Mead of yours isn’t quite the idyllic retreat that I’ve always imagined it.’
‘Human nature, dear, is very much the same everywhere. It is more difficult to observe it closely in a city, that is all.’
‘And you’ll go to Stonygates?’
‘I’ll go to Stonygates. A little unfair, perhaps, on my nephew Raymond. To let it be thought that he does not assist me, I mean. Still, the dear boy is in Mexico for six months. And by that time it should all be over.’
‘What should all be over?’
‘Carrie Louise’s invitation will hardly be for an indefinite stay. Three weeks, perhaps — a month. That should be ample.’
‘For you to find out what is wrong?’
‘For me to find out what is wrong.’
‘My, Jane,’ said Mrs Van Rydock, ‘you’ve got a lot of confidence in yourself, haven’t you?’
Miss Marple looked faintly reproachful.
‘You have confidence in me, Ruth. Or so you say…I can only assure you that I shall endeavour to justify your confidence.’
Chapter 2
I
Before catching her train back to St Mary Mead (Wednesday special cheap day return), Miss Marple, in a precise and businesslike fashion, collected certain data.
‘Carrie Louise and I have corresponded after a fashion, but it has largely been a matter of Christmas cards or calendars. It’s just the facts I should like, Ruth dear — and also some idea as to whom exactly I shall encounter in the household at Stonygates.’
‘Well, you know about Carrie Louise’s marriage to Gulbrandsen. There were no children and Carrie Louise took that very much to heart. Gulbrandsen was a widower, and had three grown-up sons. Eventually they adopted a child. Pippa, they called her — a lovely little creature. She was just two years old when they got her.’
‘Where did she come from? What was her background?’
‘Really, now, Jane, I can’t remember — if I ever heard, that is. An Adoption Society, maybe? Or some unwanted child that Gulbrandsen had heard about. Why? Do you think it’s important?’
‘Well, one always likes to know the background, so to speak. But please go on.’
‘The next thing that happened was that Carrie Louise found that she was going to have a baby after all. I understand from doctors that that quite often happens.’
Miss Marple nodded.
‘I believe so.’
‘Anyway, it did happen, and in a funny kind of way, Carrie Louise was almost disconcerted, if you can understand what I mean. Earlier, of course, she’d have been wild with joy. As it was, she’d given such a devoted love to Pippa that she felt quite apologetic to Pippa for putting her nose out of joint, so to speak. And then Mildred, when she arrived, was really a very unattractive child. Took after the Gulbrandsens — who were solid and worthy — but definitely homely. Carrie Louise was always so anxious to make no difference between the adopted child and her own child that I think she rather tended to overindulge Pippa and pass over Mildred. Sometimes I think that Mildred resented it. However