Outrageous Fortune by Patricia Wentworth Read Free Book Online

lifted his hand from the arm of the chair and let it fall again.
    â€œI’ve got nothing to say to that. I thought you were going to explain what you were talking about.”
    She said, “Explain!” on an acrid note of scorn.
    â€œIf you’re not going to explain—” He made as if to rise.
    â€œOh, I’ll explain. I hope you’ll like the explanation! Do you really need one? If you do, it may come as a bit of a shock to you.”
    â€œDo you mind coming to the point?”
    Nesta laughed.
    â€œHave you never heard of the Van Berg emeralds?”
    He shook his head.
    â€œSure? Because you’ve got them somewhere. You took them, you know.”
    He experienced a horrible sliding sensation. It was as if the room had tilted. The chair in which he was sitting tilted. His thoughts slid, but only for a moment. Then he was looking fixedly at a point a little to the left of Nesta’s head and saying quite quietly,
    â€œHadn’t you better begin at the beginning?”
    She drew at her cigarette and blew out the smoke.
    â€œThe beginning? That’s before my time. I can’t go any farther back than March.”
    â€œThen perhaps you’ll begin there.”
    She hesitated again, bent a suspicious glance upon him, and said angrily.
    â€œIf you’re making game of me—”
    He leaned back and closed his eyes. This was the sort of woman who might very easily get herself brained. She exasperated him as much as she repelled him. And he had married her! In heaven’s name—why?
    â€œAll right, I’ll begin. And don’t blame me if I’m telling you what you know already. Every heard of a place called Packham?”
    He shook his head, and then was aware of the name playing hide-and-seek with his thoughts.
    â€œWell, that’s funny—because that’s where we ran into each other. You don’t remember that?”
    He shook his head again.
    â€œWell, we did. Mr Entwhistle was abroad, and the Hall was let to Mr Van Berg—Mr and Mrs Elmer Van Berg. That doesn’t mean anything to you?”
    â€œNo.” The hide-and-seek went on.
    â€œMr Van Berg had just given her the emeralds. His uncle, old Peter Van Berg, left them to him. He was the second richest man in America, and he’d spent half his life collecting emeralds. His nephews got the lot, and he took Packham Hall and gave them to his wife, and she was going to be presented in them and splash about London with the most valuable set of emeralds in the world. She was crazy about them.” She stopped, tilted up her chin, blew out a cloud of smoke, and added, “So were you.”
    He did not allow himself to move.
    â€œWell?” he said.
    Nesta laughed.
    â€œWell, that’s where I came in. You tried pretty hard to make me believe you were crazy about me, but you needn’t imagine I was such a fool as to believe you. You were crazy about the emeralds, and you needn’t have troubled to make love to me, because I’d taken the length of your foot in the first five minutes.”
    â€œBut you married me.”
    â€œDid you think I was going to trust you? I married you because I meant to get my share.”
    â€œAnd why did I marry you?” said Jim Riddell pleasantly.
    Nesta coloured high.
    â€œFor what you could get out of me,” she said. “You wanted my help, and you thought it was safer.”
    â€œIt’s very interesting,” said Jim. “Won’t you go on?”
    â€œ Interesting !” She struck her cigarette against the arm of the chair and sent the ash flying.
    â€œVery. Do you mind telling me how you helped?”
    â€œI was staying with old Caroline Bussell. I’ve known her all my life—she’s some sort of twenty-eighth cousin. She’s been housekeeper at the Hall since the year one, and she does what she likes with Mr Entwhistle. When you spoke to me that day in the