Читать книгу Overture to Death - Ngaio Marsh, Stella Duffy - Страница 12

If Mrs Ross had taken a ticking bomb from her handbag and placed it on the table, the effect could have been scarcely more devastating. What she did produce was a small green book. Seven pairs of eyes followed the movements of her thin scarlet-tipped hands. Seven pairs of eyes fastened, as if mesmerized, on the black letters of the book cover. Mrs Ross folded her hands over the book and addressed the meeting.

‘I do hope you’ll all forgive me for making my suggestion,’ she said, ‘but it’s the result of a rather odd coincidence. I’d no idea of your meeting until Dr Templett called in this afternoon, but I happened to be reading this play and when he appeared the first thing I said was, “Some time or other we simply must do this thing,” Didn’t I, Billy? I mean, it’s absolutely marvellous. All the time I was reading it I kept thinking how perfect it would be for some of you to do it in aid of one of the local charities. There are two parts in it that would be simply ideal for Miss Prentice and Miss Campanula. The Duchess and her sister. The scene they have with General Talbot is one of the best in the play. It simply couldn’t be funnier and you’d be magnificent as the General, Mr Jernigham.’

She paused composedly and looked sideways at the squire. Nobody spoke, though Miss Campanula wetted her lips. Selia Ross waited for a moment, smiling frankly, and then she said:

‘Of course, I didn’t realize you had already chosen a play. Naturally I wouldn’t have dreamt of coming if I had known. It’s all this man’s fault.’ She gave Dr Templett a sort of a comradely jog with her elbow. ‘He bullied me into it. I ought to have apologized and crept away at once, but I just couldn’t resist telling you about my discovery.’ She opened her eyes a little wider and turned them on the rector. ‘Perhaps if I left it with you, Mr Copeland, the committee might just like to glance at it before they quite decide. Please don’t think I want a part in it or anything frightful like that. It’s just that it is so good and I’d be delighted to lend it.’

‘That’s very kind of you,’ said the rector.

‘It’s not a bit kind. I’m being thoroughly selfish. I just long to see you all doing it and I’m secretly hoping you won’t be able to resist it. It’s so difficult to find modern plays that aren’t offensive,’ continued Mrs Ross, with an air of great frankness, ‘but this really is charming.’

‘But what is the play?’ asked Henry, who had been craning his neck in a useless attempt to read the title.

‘Shop Windows, by Jacob Hunt.’

‘Good Lord!’ ejaculated Dinah. ‘Of course! I never thought of it. It’s the very thing.’

‘Have you read it?’ asked Mrs Ross, with a friendly glance at her.

‘I saw the London production,’ said Dinah. ‘You’re quite right, it would be grand. But what about the royalties? Hunt charges the earth for amateur rights, and anyway he’d probably refuse them to us.’

‘I was coming to that,’ said Mrs Ross. ‘If you should decide to do it I’d like to stand the royalties if you’d let me.’

There was another silence, broken by the rector.

‘Now, that’s very generous indeed,’ he said.

‘No, honestly it’s not. I’ve told you I’m longing to see it done.’

‘How many characters are there?’ asked the squire suddenly.

‘Let me see, I think there are six.’ She opened the play and counted prettily on her fingers.

‘Five, six – no, there seem to be seven! Stupid of me.’

‘Ha!’ said Miss Campanula.

‘But I’m sure you could find a seventh. What about the Moorton people?’

‘What about you?’ asked Dr Templett.

‘No, no!’ said Mrs Ross quickly. ‘I don’t come into the picture. Don’t be silly.’

‘It’s a damn’ good play,’ said Henry. ‘I saw the London show too, Dinah. D’you think we could do it?’

‘I don’t see why not. The situations would carry it through. The three character parts are really the stars.’

‘Which are they?’ demanded the squire.

‘The General and the Duchess and her sister,’ said Mrs Ross.

‘They don’t come on till the second act,’ continued Dinah, ‘but from then on they carry the show.’

‘May I have a look at it?’ asked the squire.

Mrs Ross opened the book and passed it across to him.

‘Do read the opening of the act,’ she said, ‘and then go on to page forty-eight.’

‘May I speak?’ demanded Miss Campanula loudly.

‘Please!’ said the rector hurriedly. ‘Please do. Ah – order!’