Death in the Castle by Pearl S. Buck Read Free Book Online

“Perhaps it would be well for me to retire now, Sir Richard, with all that is before us tomorrow.”
    “Quite so.” Sir Richard moved toward a bell pull on the wall and the sound of a distant ringing could be heard. When Wells appeared in the doorway, Sir Richard spoke. “Take Mr. Blayne to the Duke’s room, Wells.”
    “Yes, my lord.”
    “I’d better just go along with them and see that everything is right,” Kate said. She took the coffee tray and went toward the door.
    “How kind you are,” John Blayne murmured.
    He said good night and was halfway across the room when Lady Mary remarked, “Oh, I hope they won’t bother you tonight.”
    “Careful, my dear. You must not mystify or frighten our guest out of his night’s sleep.”
    “Don’t worry about me, Sir Richard, I’m a good sleeper. I assure you, Lady Mary, that I shall be quite all right. Until the morning, then!” He stood in the doorway and lifted his hand in a gesture of farewell.
    Sir Richard and Lady Mary were sitting together now on the low couch. They looked regal, and yet tender at the same time, and thoroughly in command while the truce held. Swords would be drawn in earnest in the morning.
    After the door had closed, Lady Mary sighed and laid her hand lightly on her husband’s. “He’s rather nice, Richard, don’t you think, in spite of his being an—”
    “Very nice,” Sir Richard agreed, “surprising, as a matter of fact. One never knows Americans.”
    Wells opened the door to the Duke’s room. “Here you are, sir. I hope you’ll find everything to your satisfaction.”
    The bed had been turned down and John Blayne saw that his pajamas and robe had been laid on the faded coverlet; his slippers were neatly arranged on the floor. The light on the table by the bed gave a warmth which the room had lacked when he had gone to it before dinner to dress; a small fire in the grate had done its best to counteract the dampness.
    “The candle, sir, is near the lamp, and there’s a box of matches.”
    “Whatever do I need a candle for?”
    “The electricity has a way of failing, sir, and some of the passages have no light in any case.”
    “But, Wells, I really don’t expect to go wandering around the castle during the night.”
    “Very good, sir, but then you never know. Best be prepared is what I always say. If that is all, sir, I’ll wish you a very good night.”
    “Thank you, Wells.”
    The old man turned and left. Kate busied herself about the room, testing the windowsills with her forefinger for dust, arranging the long satin curtains. It was an immense room, and the windows reached from floor to ceiling. The crimson satin curtains were shredding and she was trying to hide the rents. She caught his glance and dropped the curtain.
    “You’ve a cut on your forehead,” she said sharply and came to him to inspect.
    He put his hand to his head. “I gave myself a blow this morning on that low door when we were going into the great hall.”
    “And you never said a word!” she cried.
    “So much began to happen all at once.”
    “I must wash it immediately.”
    She went to a stand and poured water from a large porcelain pitcher into a basin and opened a drawer for a clean towel.
    “It’s nothing,” he said.
    “There’s blood dried on it, under your hair,” she retorted. “Stoop down, please—otherwise I’ll have to fetch a step ladder.”
    He laughed and stooped down, and felt her light touch on his bead as she washed the slight cut. A faint clean fragrance came from her. Her skin was very blue, her eyes more blue than any he had ever seen, a deep violet blue—very rare! One saw it in the paintings of the early madonnas. Her dark eyelashes were set thickly together and curled upward softly.
    “You don’t seem like an American,” she was saying, as she kept at her self-appointed task. “Does that hurt?”
    “Not in the least.”
    “Will you bend a little lower still, please? You’re really shockingly tall,