02 - Murder at Dareswick Hall by Margaret Addison Read Free Book Online Page B

right, unaware as he was of their history. He probably felt obliged too to
have a word with his wayward son, having first made a point of deliberately ignoring
him. She sighed. What a pity that it was expected in polite society that one
engage in conversation with the person seated on your right as well as the one
seated on your left.
    Shortly
there was a lull in the conversation between Lord Sneddon and Isabella, so that
Sneddon turned his attention to Rose for the first time since they had been seated.
She took a deep breath, aware that not even the soup had yet been served and
that the dinner was likely to consist of some six or seven courses. She had
hoped that she would be able to put off speaking to Lord Sneddon until the meat
dish at the very least. She turned desperately to the baron to see if she could
reignite their dying conversation. She found however that, while the baron was still
furious with Hallam, he had resolved to take the opportunity between courses to
reprimand his son for his behaviour in words whispered angrily between clenched
teeth.
    ‘Ah,
Miss Simpson, this is a pleasant surprise,’ began Lord Sneddon, bestowing on her
an ambiguous smile. ‘Although I have to confess that I didn’t imagine that I’d
ever be seeing you again, certainly not so soon, not that it isn’t most
welcome.’
    ‘I wish
I could say the same,’ Rose retorted, primly. ‘But I’m afraid that I can’t. But
believe me, it’s just as much of a surprise for me to find you here.’
    ‘Oh,
don’t be like that, Rose,’ said Lord Sneddon, grinning. ‘Of course, I know that
I behaved abominably towards you at Ashgrove, but can’t we just let bygones be
bygones while we are both here?’
    ‘It’s
not quite so easy for me to do as you ask,’ replied Rose, remembering with a
shiver their last encounter on the staircase at Ashgrove, ‘but I suppose we
must, just while we’re both here.’ Besides, she had no intention of giving him
the satisfaction of ruining her weekend with Cedric.
    ‘That’s
a girl,’ beamed her dinner companion. ‘Now suppose you start by giving me a
friendly smile, or at the very least stop looking as if you’d like to disappear
under the table. Because I have to say, if looks could kill, young Cedric over
there would have finished me off three times already this evening.’
    Rose
looked up. Cedric was indeed glaring at Sneddon in a manner which suggested
that he would like to do him harm. She felt herself panic. She must not let him
make a fool of himself as Hallam had done. Whatever Cedric had to say to Lord
Sneddon, and she was sure it was a great deal, she must ensure that he said it
in private.
    ‘You’d
never think that young Cedric and I used to be inseparable,’ continued Lord
Sneddon. ‘We were the absolute best of friends.’
    That’s
before he was aware of your true character, Rose longed to say, but she held
her tongue. She would not be provoked for she felt sure that that was exactly
what he wanted.
    ‘I must
admit, Rose, I didn’t see your little romance with Cedric lasting, touching
though it was. It just proves me wrong, doesn’t it? He’s had a pretty rum time
of it, hasn’t he? The newspapers have been absolutely hounding him; fortunately
they don’t appear to know that I was there. I’m somewhat surprised that he
didn’t take a leaf out of dear Lavinia’s book and head for the Continent. I assume
she’s planning to stay there until all the fuss has died down, that’s what I’d
have done.’
    ‘Yes,
but Cedric isn’t you, is he?’ Rose said, finding it hard to keep her temper
despite her good intentions. ‘He isn’t the sort of man to run away from things.
Besides, he had all the estate affairs to sort out and of course the funerals
to arrange.’
     
    ‘Mr Crabtree,
is there absolutely no way you can manage at dinner without having young Robert
serve?’ asked the housekeeper, clasping her hands tightly together in her
agitation. She had collared the