The Seven Stars by Anthea Fraser Read Free Book Online Page A

through the window at the dank, drear day. Though had Hannah been free, it would have been different.
    ‘ I’ll probably have a painting binge,’ he said. ‘I’ve one or two ideas brewing.’
    ‘ Missed out on seeing the Russians, so you’ll produce your own?’ Crombie suggested with a grin. ‘Fair enough.’
    The Governor ’s artistic talents, though he rarely spoke of them, were well known at Carrington Street station. More particularly, they had several times been instrumental in his solving a case, the startlingly lifelike caricatures of the people involved alerting him to some previously unnoticed trait which proved significant. The process was known among his colleagues as the Governor ‘drawing conclusions’.
    What they did not know was that Webb was also the acclaimed cartoonist whose work appeared sporadically in the Broadshire News , signed by an enigmatic ‘S’ in a circle, denoting a spider in a web. He had a few in his desk drawer, he thought now; might as well get them off to Mike Romilly before he started nagging again.
    With a sigh , he returned to his paperwork.
    *
    Hatherley Hall, the home of the Rudges, was on the northeast fringe of Shillingham, in the residential district of the same name. Since Charles also lived in that direction, Hannah had suggested meeting him there, but he’d insisted on calling for her.
    It was another misty evening , streetlamps festooned with fuzzy haloes and everything damp to the touch. Hannah settled into the soft leather car-seat and pulled up her collar. To think she might have been in Paris with David!
    The Hall stood on a rise of ground at the end of a long , curving drive. Through the mist, she was conscious of the tall, silent forms of trees on either side, like watchful sentinels waiting in the shadows. Then, round the final bend, the house came into sight, its lights struggling to shine out in welcome.
    Charles parked on the broad sweep of gravel alongside the cars of earlier arrivals and , his hand at her elbow, they walked quickly to the door and were ushered inside.
    As always on these occasions , the great double doors leading to both drawing and dining-rooms had been folded back, making the hall into one vast reception area. A maid was waiting to take their coats, and at the top of the sweeping staircase a string quartet had already started to play. Things were done in style at Hatherley, Hannah reflected.
    Their host and hostess hurried forward to greet them , and as she kissed Lady Ursula’s papery cheek, Hannah thought, as she always did, how beautiful she must have been as a young woman. The delicate bone structure was still discernible, the eyes, though deeper in their sockets, were still large and lustrous, while her soft grey hair coiled into a loose chignon, giving her an air of almost regal dignity.
    Sir Clifford was , as always, briskly charming in his immaculate dinner jacket, his thick white hair parted with care. The ebony cane on which he relied to ease an old leg injury was as much a part of him as the military-style moustache which now brushed her cheek.
    ‘ My dear Hannah, how pleasant this is! Too bad Gwen can’t be with us this year.’
    ‘ I’m sure Canada has its compensations!’ Lady Ursula murmured. ‘Have you heard from her lately?’
    ‘ Not since Christmas, but she’s enjoying herself enormously.’
    They were interrupted by the approach of one of the waiters with a tray of drinks, and as the Rudges went to greet new arrivals, Hannah and Charles moved further into the hall.
    Since there were twenty governors of the school and each had brought a partner , there was quite a crowd. Many were friends as well as colleagues, in particular John and Beatrice Templeton — Beatrice, in fact, being Gwen Rutherford’s elder sister, and her husband the school doctor.
    Having chatted to them for several minutes , Hannah caught sight of Monica Latimer, one of her oldest friends, and, excusing herself, moved across to join her.