Annie Haynes Premium Collection – 8 Murder Mysteries in One Volume. Annie Haynes

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СКАЧАТЬ the Lockford butcher, was standing, cap in hand, near the front door. He was a big, burly man with a thick neck like one of his own oxen; ordinarily his great, clean-shaven face was of a cheerful rubicund hue, but to-night it looked grey, save that in places there were curious purple patches.

      He touched his forehead.

      “It—I am afraid it is a bad business, Sir Arthur! Mr. Jenkins has likely told you how the Lovers’ Oak has been struck by lightning—it has broke away the biggest branch altogether—”

      “Yes, yes, I have heard all this!” Sir Arthur interrupted impatiently. “But, though I am sorry enough about the old tree, I can’t understand for the life of me why you should all look so tragic about it. If there is anything else to hear, man, tell us without any more beating about the bush.”

      Mr. Grimes looked around and scratched his head doubtfully.

      “It is an awful thing, Sir Arthur,” said Grimes, after a pause. “As soon as we saw that flash of lightning and heard the thunder we come out, me and my missis, and looked about us; then young Bill Grogram brought us word as it was the Lovers’ Oak as was struck, and we went up to see it, me and a few more. We found the oak was split right down, Sir Arthur, and what we never knowed before at Lockford, speaking for myself, it was hollow, Sir Arthur.”

      “Well, there is nothing so astonishing about that,” said Sir Arthur irritably, “nothing to be so tragic over, that I can see, Grimes. A tree of great size, and an old tree such as that was, often is hollow.”

      “Ay!” said Grimes slowly, mopping his head with his red handkerchief, and moving his feet about uneasily. “It—it wasn’t its being hollow as startled us, Sir Arthur, but—but there was something inside.”

      “What sort of something?” asked Sir Arthur, his tone catching some of the awe in the butcher’s. “What on earth do you mean, Grimes?”

      “There was something inside, Sir Arthur,” the man repeated slowly and ponderously. “Something—somebody, I ought to say, poor thing! Somebody as must ha’ been made away with and put down there to be out of the way. They are saying down in the village—they are saying as it’s that poor young woman that’s been missing from the Manor since last June—Mrs. Marston’s daughter, down at Lockford!”

      “What?” Arthur’s quick, horrified exclamation went unheeded as a hoarse, strangled shriek rang out behind him, and he turned to see Hilda with ashen face and straining eyeballs falling back apparently in violent hysterics.

      With some curiosity as to Grimes’s errand, and not conceiving it possible that it required anything in the nature of secrecy, Lady Laura had opened the drawing-room door just in time to hear the last speech.

      “What did you say, Grimes? What is that you have found?” Lady Laura cried as Mavis caught Hilda and Arthur ran to help her.

      “My lady, I can’t say nothing of myself,’’ Mr. Grimes said huskily, “save as it is some poor creature as some brute has rammed down there to be out of the way—leastways all that remains of her. There’s them down there as are saying as it is Nurse Marston. I thought as it was nothing but right, seeing as she went away from the Manor, as I should drive up and tell Sir Arthur. Superintendent Stokes, he was coming up as I left, so he will tell us the rights of it all,’’ with unintentional sarcasm. “Tom Greyson, he went off for Dr. Grieve, not as he would be any good, unless it was to speak as to who she was.’’

      “It—it can’t be true!” Lady Laura cried piteously. “Who would hurt her? Garth, tell them it is a mistake! Indeed, it is not, it cannot be Nurse Marston!”

      Garth’s dark face seemed to have caught Grimes’s pallor as, in response to this appeal, he came forward.

      “This is a terrible thing, Grimes,’’ he began, smoothing back the hair from his brow.

      “Terrible it is, you are right, sir,’’ the man returned stolidly.

      “Have you any reason for thinking that it is—that the body is that of Nurse Marston, except that she is missing?”

      Grimes hesitated and turned his hat about.

      “Well, naturally, Mr. Davenant, sir, it were that as made us think of her,” he acknowledged frankly. “But though we couldn’t recognize her face, poor thing—it were too late for that, and we didn’t go for to move her, not till the police and the doctor came—it looked, as far as we could tell, as if she—it had on a nurse’s dress.”

      “Ah!” Half convulsively Lady Laura’s hand clenched itself among the foamy chiffon at her breast.

      Garth drew forward a heavy oaken chair.

      “This has been a great shock for you, Lady Laura, you must rest. Ah, that is right!” as she sank into it. “Now this matter must be seen to without delay. Will you take me back with you, Grimes? The Marstons have been faithful friends of ours. If this should indeed be poor Mary, though I cannot accept that yet, I should like to feel assured that everything possible is done. But perhaps you are on your way somewhere else?” as the man did not reply.

      “Well, no, sir; I am going straight back,” Grimes said after an appreciable pause. “And I can give you a seat if you want one.”

      “On second thoughts,” Garth said quickly, a shade of hauteur in his tone, “I will drive myself, thanks! We will soon be back with the latest news for you, Lady Laura. Arthur, are you coming with me?” glancing with some distaste at the settle upon which Hilda had been laid and over which Sir Arthur was bending.

      “In a minute,” he said, looking up. “You are better, are you not, dearest?”

      Hilda only moaned feebly by way of reply, but Mavis answered for her.

      “Yes, indeed she is. Do go, Arthur; she will be much better alone with me. It was the shock of this horrible thing!” She shuddered violently.

      “You see, I feel that I must go,” Arthur said reluctantly.

      “I think, Sir Arthur, perhaps if you would allow me to attend to the young ladies’—” Mrs. Parkyns’ voice said behind him at this juncture.

      “Come along, Hargreave!” Garth said impatiently.

      But as he paused Hilda raised herself.

      “Arthur, didn’t I tell you when—when she appeared to us in the shrubbery that she was pointing straight at me? I am no better than a murderess!” hoarsely. “If she had not come here to nurse me she would have been safe now.’

      “Eh, dear, eh, dear, Miss Hilda, and how could you help it, I should like to know, and you lying there ill on your bed?” Mrs. Parkyns asked sensibly.

      Sir Arthur turned back, but the housekeeper shook her head at him.

      “You only excite her, Sir Arthur, but she will be better with us, and maybe you will be able to come back soon and tell her that this is all a mistake.”

      “Ah, why—why should she have been sent to nurse me?” Hilda wept as Mrs. Parkyns raised her and put some pillows under her. “If it had not been for that—”

      “It would have been just the same, Miss Hilda, I shouldn’t wonder,” Mrs. Parkyns observed. СКАЧАТЬ