Archiwum
- Index
- Charlie Richards Accepting Caladon's Scales
- El Templario 2
- 0706. Davis Justine Poszukiwacz skarbów
- Eo Oslak, Vinko La malbabela jaro
- Feehan, Christine Leopard Series (1 2)
- Hot Nights 2 Seducing the Playboy Amanda Usen
- Leanne Karella Courage to Believe (Titan) (pdf)
- Carol Grace Odnaleziony skarb
- 'Resistant Omegas 1 Tristan
- Forstchen, William R & Morrison, Greg Crystal Warriors 2 Crystal Sorcerers
- zanotowane.pl
- doc.pisz.pl
- pdf.pisz.pl
- epicusfuror.xlx.pl
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Coppersmith rushed into the hotel, enquired for
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Lessons in Desire
Matthew, found him in his room packing some of his
father s things then dragged him bodily downstairs to the
garden, where Jonty had located Mrs. Tattersall. They told
Ainslie just to listen and be sensible, as they weren t sure
but they had an inkling which, if it were true, meant the fat
was in the fire.
Hello, you young scamps. Now, why aren t you out
making the most of your last afternoon here? You should be
swimming or frolicking, not talking to an old woman.
Mrs. Tattersall, Orlando assumed his most solemn
and dignified face, reminding Jonty of how he d appeared
the first time they met. Please would you tell us about your
brother? How he died.
A wistful smile came over the lady s face. Ah, I did
wonder. My brother? He took his own life. The official
report said that it was a terrible accident with a gun, that
he d been cleaning it out and it had gone off accidentally,
but that was all down to the friends he had we had in
authority. It was suicide.
Did he say why he had done it? Stewart s voice was
as soft as a cooing dove, coaxing Mrs. Tattersall through the
difficult conversation, not that she seemed to need much
coaxing. She appeared the least perturbed of all those
present.
He left me a note. Our friends kept quiet about that
too, only I was given it after the funeral. He said that he d
been accused of cheating at cards, my Arthur, who never
cheated at anything in his life, even when we were little
children. It broke his heart. While he could have stood up to
fight any accusations, he lacked proof of his innocence and
couldn t see how to get any. He couldn t face going through
life with the shame hanging over him. Even if he d been
found not guilty people do tend to say that there s no smoke
without fire which is such a very wicked saying. No smoke
without the fire of people s jealousy and hatred, in my
experience. She sighed heavily, put aside her knitting,
rubbed her hands. So he decided to end it all.
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Charlie Cochrane
Jonty looked at Ainslie, saw him shudder. Was he
thinking of how close he had come to taking the same
option?
Mrs. Tattersall, Orlando broke the silence, a quietness
heavy with deep thoughts, painful memories. What was his
name?
Arthur Featherstone.
But that s& Ainslie suddenly sprang out of his
thoughts and into the conversation.
Yes, dear. That s the man your father accused of
cheating. It was his charge which led Arthur to kill
himself. The lady quite unexpectedly reached out to pat
Ainslie s hand, as if he were the one in need of comfort.
Is that why you killed him? Coppersmith spoke with
no trace of coldness or malice in his voice, just calmly
stating a fact as if he were discussing something with his
students.
I suppose it was, in the end. I hadn t intended to. Let
me explain. The three men turned attentively to her, like
little boys awaiting a story from their grandmother. On that
Sunday night when you were so very talented at bridge,
she smiled at Coppersmith, Mr. Sheringham had been
talking to my Aloysius over at the bar. I think that your
father, she nodded to Matthew, must have become aware
of it, because he got very agitated all of a sudden. I think he
might have heard the name Featherstone mentioned; Mr.
Sheringham does have such a loud voice. Anyway, Mr. T
told me all about it afterwards. I had only ever known the
surname of the man who made the accusations against
Arthur, nothing else about him, and Ainslie is not
uncommon, is it? I did so want to just speak to your father
to see what it was all really about, set my mind at rest.
Mrs. Tattersall seemed suddenly very tired, not to
mention breathless, so Jonty went off in search of a waiter
and a pot of tea. They awaited his return before
recommencing the story. Sorry about that, my dears,
sometimes get a little drained. I suppose it s my age. I
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Lessons in Desire
arranged to meet your father when you were playing tennis
with Mr. Coppersmith. I d heard you two out here making
the arrangements, so it seemed like an ideal time. Well, I
asked him straight out and he said that he had been the very
man to catch my Arthur red-handed. Oh, it made my blood
boil; as I ve said before, my brother would never do such a
thing.
The refreshments arrived, carried by a rather pale
waiter, all the staff having received the most terrible shock
when they heard of the barman s demise. Mrs. Tattersall
was poured a cup of tea by the son of the man she had
killed, something that could probably only have happened
among an English gathering in an English Hotel. I m afraid
that your father wasn t very sympathetic, my dear. He
didn t realize that he was talking of my brother, I d just said
that Arthur was a young man I had known. He started to
brag a bit, and while he didn t quite say as much, he implied
that it had been he who had been pulling a sharp trick or
two at the tables, not Arthur. He seemed rather pleased with
himself that he d got away with it. He was sitting at the
desk all the time, I had my knitting bag with me as usual
and I suddenly remembered how sharp the thinnest needles
are. I recalled my father telling me about the sort of places
where it would be fatal to insert a thin, sharp blade. So I just
did it. Straight into the back of the neck and up into& she
stopped, reached over as if to pat Matthew s hand again,
then seemed to think better of it.
I m so very sorry, my dear, Mrs. Tattersall looked
into Ainslie s eyes with great pain. I would have given
anything not to hurt you, but I didn t consider anything else
at the time. All I could think of was my brother and how
much I loved him. And how unfair it had all been. As she
started to cry, she was offered three differently
monogrammed handkerchiefs simultaneously. The tears
didn t last long, as Mrs. Tattersall was one of the old school,
tutored not to show her feelings excessively. She dabbed her
eyes then put on a brave face. You re bright little buttons,
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Charlie Cochrane
aren t you? How did you guess?
Orlando sighed. It was today. I was thinking about my
grandmother, who always carried her knitting bag around,
as you usually do. I suddenly wondered why I hadn t
thought of her when first we met, then I realized that you
hadn t got your knitting that first night. If you hadn t got
your knitting, you couldn t have lost a needle, then, could
you? Mrs. T shook her head while Orlando continued. So
if you hadn t lost the needle, why tell such a blatant lie? I
don t think that your memory lapses, like other, he
searched for a polite term, more mature ladies. Then I
remembered you saying how sharp your needles were. I
wondered whether they were sharp enough to kill someone
with, how easy it would be just to wipe them on a
handkerchief and put them back into their bag. Mr.
Tattersall is Aloysius, isn t he? So his hankies might well
have an A on them.
Mrs. T nodded.
It all fell into place then, such a simple theory to
explain what had gone on, no need for multiplying entities
as Dr. Stewart calls it. They all sat in silence, the solution
of the day before thrown out and the world turned upside
down once more.
Stewart looked from Coppersmith to Ainslie then back
again. What now?
Mrs. Tattersall blew her nose. I m afraid that I m not
sure that I ll make it to trial, you know. Bit of a shame,
really, as I d like to stand up in court and tell the truth.
Perhaps they wouldn t believe me, but at least I could try to
clear Arthur s name. However, that s all a vain hope. The
doctors say I ll just about live to see my great grandchild
and then that s it. Off to a better, fairer place, I hope. This
was to be our last holiday it s been a lovely one really,
apart from&
Orlando felt the time had come to break the gathering
up. Come on, Mr. Ainslie, need to find you a good stiff
drink.
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Lessons in Desire
Jonty watched the two men walk over the lawn to the
hotel, pleased to see Orlando tentatively clap Ainslie on the
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