Page 144 of The Christmas Invitation
It was a long brown envelope, with American stamps and interesting stains, addressed to Professor Clara Mayhem Doome.
‘I’ll give it to Clara when I get back,’ I said, pushing it down inside my large tapestry shoulder bag.
I’d only just set off up the road when a dog-walking party consisting of River, Henry and Lex caught me up.
Lass was proceeding under her own steam, but River was carrying Pansy and Lex the more substantial Wisty.
‘They’ve such little legs,’ said River when I commented on this. ‘They were tired and their tummies were cold.’
‘I don’t suppose they are the most suitable of country dogs,’ I said.
‘They can walk a surprisingly long way, when they don’t have to wade through snow,’ Henry said. ‘Sybil is a good dog breeder. Her puppies are always healthy and win lots of prizes.’
‘I don’t think Pansy will,’ Lex said. ‘She looks like a collection of all the things dachshunds shouldn’t be.’
‘She’s healthy, though, that’s the main thing. And she is beautiful in her own way,’ Henry said.
As soon as we got in, the door to Clara’s study opened and her head of grey and silver curls appeared.
‘Psst!’ she hissed thrillingly. ‘Come in here, all of you!’
‘Me too?’ asked River.
‘Why not?’ said Clara. ‘I feel you’re quite one of the family.’
‘Just let me put the dogs in the kitchen so they can dry off by the stove,’ Henry said, suiting the action to the words.
Tottie was already in the study, pacing about restlessly.
‘Shut the door, Henry,’ Clara said when he came in.
‘Who are we shutting out?’
‘Sybil,’ Tottie said. ‘While you were all out, Piers made Flora bring him up here and I was in the drawing room with Sybil when they rang the doorbell. We had the lights on, so of course they could see us through the window and we couldn’t pretend there was nobody home. Piers said he’d just wanted a quick word with Sybil on a private matter.’
‘What private matter?’ asked Henry.
‘It wouldn’t have been private if he’d announced it, would it?’ Clara pointed out. ‘Shush and let Tottie tell the story.’
‘Well, I suggested she take him into the library and I’d make us all some coffee. You know the library door never catches properly … Anyway, on the way back I could hear them talking, and I wouldn’t have stopped and listened if I hadn’t heard Piers say something that caught my attention.’
‘Well, you’ve got us all agog now, Tottie: what did he say?’ Lex demanded.
‘That something – I don’t know what – was the only solution, because otherwise, if the truth came out, things could be very difficult for her. Then he said he looked forward tospending more time at Underhill and that it was still her home, after all, so Mark couldn’t stop him.’
‘That sounds a bit like blackmail to me,’ Henry said thoughtfully. ‘Did you hear any more?’
‘No, because I thought I’d better take the coffee through before they came out. When they did, Sybil was white as a ghost and looked totally trampled, but Piers seemed pleased with himself. Flora insisted they leave as soon as they’d had the coffee and Sybil said she’d started another migraine and went upstairs to take a pill.’
Tottie looked at us all, as if trying to read an easy answer on our faces. ‘What does it all mean?’
‘I smell a rat,’ said Clara. ‘A Piers-shaped one.’
‘Can he possibly have some hold over Sybil?’ I asked.
‘I can’t imagine what,’ said Clara. ‘I do suspect he’s been sponging on her since George died and that’s why she’s always short of money, but she might just feel she owes it to him in some way.’
‘What are we going to do?’ asked Tottie.
