A sudden, fearful death by Anne Perry Read Free Book Online Page B

might be
some tramp or stray person who was peeping. But I am sure Mrs. Hylton is
correct and it was simply a cat. It can be startling, but no more. I am certain
there is no danger, Miss Gillespie."
    "No." Marianne swallowed.
"No, of course not. I fear I was foolish. I—I have been ... hasty."
    "If you sent Mr. Monk looking
for a tramp you most certainly were," Audley agreed testily, his breath
harsh in his throat. "You should have mentioned it to me! To have troubled
a guest was quite unnecessary and unfortunate."
    "Miss Gillespie did not ask
me," Monk said defensively. "I was in the garden in her company at
the time. It was the most natural thing in the world to offer to see if there
were anyone trespassing."
    Audley fell silent with the best
grace he could muster, but it was less than comfortable.
    "I was afraid one of my children
might have thrown a ball too far and came to retrieve it," Mrs. Hylton
said apologetically, looking from one to the other of them, curiosity alight
in her face, and a taste for drama. "Most inconsiderate, I know, but
children tend to be like that I am sure you will find it so, when you have your
own...."
    Audley's face was white, his eyes
glittering, but his hard glance was not directed at Mrs. Hylton, nor at Julia,
but out the window into the trees. Julia's cheeks were scarlet, but she too was
mute.
    It was Marianne who spoke, her
voice quivering with pain and indignation.
    "That may be so, Mrs. Hylton,
but we do not all wish to have the same patterns of life. And for some of us
the choices are different. I am sure you have sufficient sensitivity to appreciate
that...."
    Mrs. Hylton realized she had made
an appalling blunder and blushed deeply, although from the confusion in her
face, she still did not fully understand what it had been.
    "Yes," she said hastily.
"Of course. I see, yes. Naturally. Well, I am sure you have done the right
thing, Mr. Monk. I—I just wished to—well—good day to you." And she turned
around and retreated in disorder.
    Monk had seen more than sufficient
to confirm his fears. He would have to speak to Marianne alone, but he would
not do it with Audley in the house. He would return tomorrow morning, when he
could be almost certain he would find the women alone.
    "I don't wish to
intrude," he said aloud, looking first at Julia, then at Audley. "If
it is acceptable, ma'am, I shall call again in the near future to pick up your
gift for Mr. Finnister?"
    "Oh. Thank you," Julia
accepted quickly, relief flooding her face. "That would be most
kind."
    Audley said nothing, and with a few
more words, Monk excused himself and left, walking out rapidly into the heat of
Hastings Street and the noise and clatter of passing carriages and the trouble
of his thoughts.
    * * * * *
    In the morning he stood in the summerhouse with
Marianne. A dozen yards away there were birds singing in the lilac tree and a
faint breeze blew a few fallen leaves across the grass. It was Rodwell's day
off.
    "I think I have made all the
inquiries I can," Monk began.
    "I cannot blame you if you can
discover very little," Marianne answered with a tiny smile. She was
leaning against the window, the pale sprigged muslin of her dress billowing
around her. She looked very young, but oddly less vulnerable than Julia, even
though Monk was aware of the fear in her.
    "I discovered several
tilings," he went on, watching her carefully. "For instance, no one
came over the wall into the garden, from any direction."
    "Oh?" She was very still,
almost holding her breath, staring away from him across the grass.
    "And you are sure it was not
Rodwell?"
    Now she was incredulous, swinging
around to look at him with wide eyes. "Rodwell? You mean the gardener? Of
course it was not him! Do you think I wouldn't recognize our own gardener?
Oh—oh no! You can't think ..." She stopped, her face scarlet.
    "No I don't," he said
quickly. "I simply had to be sure. No, I don't think it