Читать книгу Inspector Alleyn 3-Book Collection 3: Death in a White Tie, Overture to Death, Death at the Bar - Ngaio Marsh, Stella Duffy - Страница 17

LORD ROBERT GOSPELL DIES IN TAXI

Society Shocked. Foul Play Suspected

Full Story of Ball on Page 5

Evelyn Carrados let the paper fall on the counterpane and stared at her husband.

‘The papers are full of it,’ she said woodenly.

‘Good God, my dear Evelyn, of course they are! And this is only the ten o’clock racing edition brought in by a damn pup of a footman with my breakfast. Wait till we see the evening papers! Isn’t it enough, my God, that I should be rung up by some jack-in-office from Scotland Yard at five o’clock in the morning and cross-examined about my own guests without having the whole thing thrust under my nose in some insulting bloody broadsheet!’

He limped angrily about the room.

‘It’s perfectly obvious that the man has been murdered. Do you realize that at any moment we’ll have some damned fellow from Scotland Yard cross-questioning us and that all the scavengers in Fleet Street will be hanging about our door for days together? Do you realize –’

‘I think he was perhaps my greatest friend,’ said Evelyn Carrados.

‘If you look at their damned impertinent drivel on page five you will see the friendship well advertised. My God, it’s intolerable. Do you realize that the police rang up Marsdon House at quarter-past four – five minutes after we’d gone, thank God! – and asked when Robert Gospell left? Some fellow of Dimitri’s answered them and now a blasted snivelling journalist has got hold of it. Do you realize –’

‘I only realize,’ said Evelyn Carrados, ‘that Bunchy Gospell is dead.’

Bridget burst into the room, a paper in her hands.

‘Donna! Oh, Donna – it’s our funny little Bunchy. Our funny little Bunchy’s dead! Donna!’

‘Darling – I know.’

‘But, Donna – Bunchy!’

‘Bridget,’ said her stepfather, ‘please don’t be hysterical. The point we have to consider is –’

Bridget’s arm went round her mother’s shoulders.

‘But we mind’ she said. ‘Can’t you see – Donna minds awfully.’

Her mother said: ‘Of course we mind, darling, but Bart’s thinking about something else. You see, Bart thinks there will be dreadful trouble –’

‘About what?’

Bridget’s eyes blazed in her white face as she turned on Carrados.

‘Do you mean Donald? Do you? Do you dare to suggest that Donald would – would –’

‘Bridgie!’ cried her mother, ‘what are you saying!’

‘Wait a moment, Evelyn,’ said Carrados. ‘What is all this about young Potter?’

Bridget pressed the back of her hand against her mouth, looked distractedly from her mother to her stepfather, burst into tears and ran out of the room.