The Midnight Peacock. Katherine Woodfine

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ to contemplate.

      Luckily no one noticed her reluctance to answer the question, for just then Joe came in, with Daisy at his heels.

      Officially Daisy was the Sinclair’s guard dog, but Joe had looked after her ever since she had arrived at the store, and she considered him her owner. She slept on his bed in the rooms above the stables, and followed him wherever he went. When she was on guard duty, she could be fearsome, but the rest of the time she was gentle and playful, and loved nothing more than a frolic with Mr Sinclair’s little pug, Lucky. Now, she sniffed around the office, greeting each of them with an enthusiastic lick, and then laid one big paw on Sophie’s knee, tilting her head to the side, with a hopeful look at the chocolate box.

      ‘You know you aren’t allowed those, you daft dog. Come over here and sit down,’ said Joe, grinning around at everyone and settling himself next to Billy. Joe still worked in the Sinclair’s stables, but like Billy, he was very much part of Taylor & Rose. He was sometimes allowed to act as Sophie and Lil’s driver, accompanying the two young detectives on their investigations – with Daisy coming along to help too, of course.

      ‘Look, now we’re all here, just listen to this,’ Lil was saying excitedly, as she spooned tea leaves into the teapot. ‘Leo’s got a terrific idea! She wants to invite us – all of us – to spend Christmas with her at her home, Winter Hall! What do you think of that? Isn’t it awfully kind?’

      Leo’s face flushed pink. ‘Well, I have to be honest – it’s not really very kind of me at all. The truth of it is, I’d have an awful time at home on my own. Mother and Father always have a big house party for Christmas, and they invite lots of society people. None of them have a single thing to say to me – except for my godmother Lady Tremayne, of course. You’d like her. She’s the one who persuaded them to let me go to art school in the first place. Anyway, Mother said that I could invite some of my own friends this year. I thought that if you would all come for a few days, it would be much better – rather fun, in fact.’

      ‘What about your brother? Won’t he be there?’ asked Lil, handing her a cup of tea.

      Leo gave a little snort. ‘Oh yes, Vincent will be there all right. But he’s – well – you’ll see what he’s like for yourself, if you come.’ She looked around at them all. ‘Do say you will. I know I haven’t made it sound very enticing, but Winter Hall is beautiful at Christmas – I’d love to show it to you. I’ve already asked Jack and he says he’ll come if you will.’

      ‘Well, thanks for the invite – but I reckon I can’t get away,’ said Joe, as he accepted a slab of the iced plum cake that Billy had found in the cake tin. ‘You see, even when the store’s closed, we’ve still got the horses to look after. Most of the other fellers want to go home to their families, so I said I’d stay on and look after things.’

      Sophie gave him a quick smile. Like her, Joe was all alone in the world, with no family that would expect him on Christmas Day. It was just like him to volunteer to shoulder the work, so that the other stable boys and grooms would be free to go home to their loved ones.

      ‘Me neither,’ Billy was saying. ‘I’ve got Christmas Day off, of course, but apart from that, I’ll be here. There’s an awful lot still to be organised for the ball, you know – and Miss Atwood says I’m to expect to be rather busy. Besides,’ he added candidly, ‘Mum wouldn’t half be mad if I wasn’t at home for Christmas dinner. She’s already ordered the goose. You ought to come and have dinner with us, Joe, if you can. Mum’s a grand cook.’

      ‘Well I definitely want to come, Leo,’ said Lil, taking a second piece of cake. ‘I think it sounds perfectly marvellous. I’m starting rehearsals for a new play in January you know, which is set in a country house. It’s a mystery and my character – Daphne De Vere – is to be horribly murdered in the first act. Rather thrilling, don’t you think? This will be absolutely perfect for research!’ she exclaimed happily.

      ‘But won’t your parents mind, if you aren’t at home for Christmas?’ asked Billy.

      Lil shrugged. ‘Neither Jack nor I are exactly in the good books with the Aged Parents at the moment,’ she explained. ‘Given all the fuss they made when they found out Jack had ditched Oxford to go and study art instead, I think it might be a jolly good idea for us to go elsewhere. Otherwise, I have a horrid suspicion that we’d probably end up spending Christmas having a big row. Not awfully festive.’

      ‘What about you, Sophie?’ asked Leo.

      Sophie had been staring at her letter, a thoughtful expression on her face. At this question, she looked up suddenly.

      ‘I think it sounds like a wonderful idea,’ she said. ‘Winter Hall is somewhere near Norchester, isn’t it?’

      ‘That’s right,’ said Leo, looking delighted. ‘It’s quite easy to get to. You can catch a train to the station in a village called Alwick, about ten miles away from the house. You really will come? How wonderful!’

      It was a very merry tea. With the prospect of a jolly Christmas ahead of her, Leo was more animated than usual, her pale cheeks quite bright with excitement. Lil had a great many questions to ask – largely about what clothes they ought to bring with them, and what sort of things they would be having to eat. Meanwhile, Billy and Joe were curious to know what happened at a high society country house party at Christmas. ‘You’re bound to meet all sorts of important people,’ Billy said pragmatically. ‘It could be very useful for Taylor & Rose.’

      Only Sophie was quiet, once or twice looking down at the letter again. At last, Leo said that she must go: she still had to pack before travelling to Winter Hall the next morning. It was agreed that Lil, Jack and Sophie would follow her once the office of Taylor & Rose had closed for Christmas, on the day before Christmas Eve.

      As the door closed behind Leo, Lil looked at Sophie. ‘I wasn’t certain if you would want to go,’ she said frankly. ‘What happened to your plan for a quiet Christmas?’

      ‘Oh, I absolutely want to go,’ said Sophie. She pushed the letter over towards the other three. ‘Pour yourselves another cup of tea – and read this,’ she said.

CHAPTER FOUR

      Lil took the thin sheet of writing paper, very much intrigued. She saw that it was covered in rather old-fashioned handwriting.

      ‘Read it out loud,’ urged Joe, and she began:

       Calcutta, India

       November 1909

       My dearest Sophie,

       I hope this finds you well – I have thought of you often, and I was very glad indeed to receive your letter. Thank you for youe kind enquiries as to my health & situation. I am quite well, although I must say that my new home here in India is quite unbearably hot, and I cannot accustom myself to the presence of so many Snakes and Insects and other Unpleasant Creatures. Mary, my new young charge is a little girl of seven years – rather sulky and spoilt by the sevants of the house, but beginning to show signs of improvement.

       I have been very eager to write to you my dear, as I believe I have some information of importance to import. As you know, your Dear Papa had no living СКАЧАТЬ