The Santa Klaus Murder by Mavis Doriel Hay Read Free Book Online Page B

arrive. That is to say they were the last of the family party, for Philip Cheriton came on Monday afternoon, and Mr. Witcombe on Tuesday morning. Eleanor and her family came from London by train on Monday, in time for lunch. If I had a favourite among the children—which at least I tried never to show when I took the place of their poor mother after her death in 1920—I think it was Eleanor. Hilda was married by then; in fact, she was already a widow; so I never knew her so well. Perhaps Dittie has more character, but she was not an easy girl to advise. Eleanor was always more easy to control; indeed she seemed to wait for advice and guidance before taking any definite step. Eleanor was the beauty of the family, very like her dear mother, with the same dark eyes and soft dark hair.
    Everyone noticed, even on Monday, that Eleanor seemed worried. They noticed it because it is unlike her. She has always been the quietest of the girls, after Hilda; taking things as they are and never making mountains out of molehills. But now we all saw that Eleanor was distrait and sometimes didn’t notice when people spoke to her. I don’t consider that there is any need to make a great mystery of this or to look for any secret and sinister cause. Eleanor had been through a lot of anxiety, with her nurse—such an excellent woman—leaving her so suddenly and at such an awkward season and the difficulty of finding a new one to bring to Flaxmere. And of course it came out later that the new nurse held very unorthodox religious views and doubtless Eleanor knew it already, but too late to make a change, and only hoped that there might be no unpleasant results. But naturally such a devoted mother as Eleanor would be anxious about her children’s moral welfare under those circumstances, and to add to her difficulty the new nurse was a very striking-looking girl. Rather a flashy type, I consider, with red hair; even the best of men and most devoted of husbands and fathers cannot avoid noticing a girl of that sort when she flaunts her charms under his very nose. Nurse Bryan flaunted naturally; she would probably have flaunted whilst walking in her sleep. And the knowledge that the girl had no Christian principles to restrain her, probably increased Eleanor’s anxiety.
    I must emphasize the fact that I have not witnessed anything unfitting between Gordon Stickland and Nurse Bryan. Gordon is a gentleman and, moreover, he is still in love with Eleanor. But he is the kind of man whom women can never resist, and he seems to regard a light-hearted flirtation with any pretty and lively woman as an everyday recreation. Eleanor understands him perfectly and, being sure of his affection, does not worry about his indiscretions. But her poor father, my brother Osmond, was a stern man and always ready to be critical of those who had married into his family. He would be the first to notice some foolish banter or frivolous glance passing between Gordon and Nurse Bryan, and then it would not be surprising if he caused a good deal of unpleasantness by rebuking Gordon before all the others. It was the danger of this possibility that was weighing on Eleanor’s mind; of that I feel certain. One could not help noticing how she watched her husband and, in the midst of conversation with others, she would withdraw her attention, become oblivious to what they were saying, because she heard Gordon’s voice and was all ears to know whom he was talking to and in what vein.
    There was a conversation between them, which was overheard by others besides myself and has given rise to a good deal of speculation. What was heard—and I feel sure that no one could have heard any more than I did and that what has been added is merely the usual moss which rolling gossip always accumulates—what was actually heard, I repeat, merely bears out my view. None of the others, of course, is likely to give much weight to my opinion, but nevertheless I