Silent as the Grave by Bill Kitson Read Free Book Online

I asked.
    â€˜Harriet and I were at school together and we’ve been friends ever since. I was abroad when you and Harriet were at university together, that’s why we never met, but I’ve heard a lot about you.’
    â€˜I remember; Harriet used to get postcards from you, sent from all over the world.’
    â€˜That’s right, so when Harriet learned I was free she invited me for Christmas. I suggested the temporary appointment. Cathy Marsh is Harriet’s regular cook, she lives at the Lodge with her husband and their daughter. Her husband’s Tony’s gardener and their daughter works in the castle as well. I agreed to stand in for Cathy tonight so they could have their Christmas dinner. Cathy will take care of tomorrow’s big meal but a party of this size takes some catering for so I’ll give her a hand.’
    Tony had disappeared for the snooker room with his cousins and Beaumont, Eve had already retired to bed pleading a headache, and I was beginning to feel the effects of the day, so I wished my hostess goodnight and went off to my room to complete my unpacking.
    I had only been in the room five minutes when there was a knock at the door. It was Lady Charlotte, Tony’s mother. ‘Forgive the intrusion, Adam, but I wanted a word with you in private.’
    â€˜Please, come in, Lady Charlotte. I was only hanging my clothes up.’
    â€˜Can we dispense with the Lady bit, Adam? I’m Charlotte to my friends.’
    â€˜Thank you. So what’s the problem, Charlotte?’
    â€˜That’s the thing, I’m not exactly sure,’ she told me frankly, ‘but I just wanted to talk to you about the reason behind your visit.’
    â€˜You mean the family curse idea?’
    â€˜Yes, to be honest I wasn’t particularly in favour of the idea to begin with, but that was before I met you.’ She smiled disarmingly. ‘It’s always more difficult when you don’t know the person under discussion isn’t it?’
    I smiled. ‘Sometimes it can work the other way, but generally I agree.’
    â€˜Anyway, I thought it was a bad idea. To me it seemed like raking over the past to no good end and I was worried what the effect would be on Tony. Well, to be fair, on both Tony and Harriet.’
    â€˜Do you know anything about the supposed family curse?’ I asked.
    â€˜No more than anyone else, ‘Charlotte admitted. ‘I just wanted to be sure that if you did unearth anything startling you would handle it tactfully, if you follow my meaning.’
    â€˜I’ll do my best to, but there’s no guarantee I’ll find anything out; no guarantee there’s anything to be found out,’ I told her.
    â€˜In one sense I hope there is nothing,’ Charlotte agreed, ‘but then again it would be helpful if the whole thing was cleared up once and for all. It’s bad enough having Tony worried sick about it without that being passed onto the children as well. I’m going now, but thanks for listening, Adam. I’m reassured you’ll do the right thing.’
    I was still wondering about Charlotte’s motive for the visit five minutes after she had gone. My musings were interrupted by another tap on the door. I opened it to find Harriet standing there. She looked, if not exactly nervous, then certainly a trifle flustered. She walked past me into the room. ‘I just thought I’d come and see if you were comfortable and had everything you need.’
    â€˜Yes thank you, Harriet,’ I sat in one of the armchairs by the window, ‘the room’s very comfortable and I’ve everything I need.’
    â€˜Good, that’s great. Look, I’m sorry for Eve’s behaviour earlier. She isn’t often like that, no matter what Tony says about her. She’s had a rough time recently and she’s always been a bit on the fiery side. What happened between you two when you left the dining