N Or M? Part 17

Voices came from the road outside. Two men returning from a tramp on the headland. They were men that both Tommy and the Commander knew slightly. Tommy hailed them. They stopped. Haydock and he exchanged a few words with them, all standing at the gate, then Tommy waved a genial farewell to his host and stepped off with the two men.

He had got away with it.

Haydock, d.a.m.ned fool, had been taken in!

He heard Haydock go back to his house, go in and shut the door. Tommy tramped cheerfully down the hill with his two new-found friends.

Weather looked likely to change.

Old Monroe was off his game again.

That fellow Ashby refused to join the L.D.V. Said it was no d.a.m.ned good. Pretty thick, that. Young Marsh, the a.s.sistant caddy master, was a conscientious objector. Didn't Meadowes think that matter ought to be put up to the committee? There had been a pretty bad raid on Southampton, the night before last - quite a lot of damage done. What did Meadowes think about Spain? Were they turning nasty? Of course, ever since the French collapse - Tommy could have shouted aloud. Such good casual normal talk. A stroke of providence that these two men had turned up just at that moment.

He said goodbye to them at the gate of Sans Souci and turned in.

He walked the drive whistling softly to himself.

He had just turned the dark corner by the rhododendrons when something heavy descended on his head. He crashed forward, pitching into blackness and oblivion.

Chapter 10.

"Did you say three spades, Mrs Blenkensop?"

Yes, Mrs Blenkensop had said three spades. Mrs Sprot, returning breathless from the telephone, saying: "And they've changed the time of the A.R.P. exam again, it's too bad," demanded to have the bidding again.

Miss Minton, as usual, delayed things by ceaseless reiterations.

"Was it two clubs I said? Are you sure? I rather thought, you know, that it might have been one no trump - Oh, yes, of course, I remember now. Mrs Cayley said one heart, didn't she? I was going to say one no trump, although I hadn't quite got the count, but I do think one should play a plucky game - and then Mrs Cayley said one heart and so I had to go two clubs. I always think it's so difficult when one has two short suits -"

Sometimes, Tuppence thought to herself, it would save time if Miss Minton just put her hand down on the table to show them all. She was quite incapable of not telling exactly what was in it.

"So now we've got it right," said Miss Minton triumphantly. "One heart, two clubs."

"Two spades," said Tuppence.

"I pa.s.sed, didn't I?" said Mrs Sprot.

They looked at Mrs Cayley, who was leaning forward listening. Miss Minton took up the tale.

"Then Mrs Cayley said two hearts and I said three diamonds."

"And I said three spades," said Tuppence.

"Pa.s.s," said Mrs Sprot.

Mrs Cayley sat in silence. At last she seemed to become aware that everyone was looking at her.

"Oh, dear." She flushed. "I'm so sorry. I thought perhaps Mr Cayley needed me. I hope he's all right out there on the terrace."

She looked from one to the other of them.

"Perhaps, if you don't mind, I'd better just go and see. I heard rather an odd noise. Perhaps he's dropped his book."

She fluttered out of the window. Tuppence gave an exasperated sigh.

"She ought to have a string tied to her wrist," she said. "Then he could pull it when he wanted her."

"Such a devoted wife," said Miss Minton. "It's very nice to see it, isn't it?"

"Is it?" said Tuppence, who was feeling far from good-tempered.

The three women sat in silence for a minute or two.

"Where's Sheila tonight?" asked Miss Minton.

"She went to the pictures," said Mrs Sprot.

"Where's Mrs Perenna?" asked Tuppence.

"She said she was going to do accounts in her room," said Miss Minton. "Poor dear. So tiring, doing accounts."

"She's not been doing accounts all the evening," said Mrs Sprot, "because she came in just now when I was telephoning in the hall."

"I wonder where she'd been," said Miss Minton, whose life was taken up with such small wonderments. "Not to the pictures, they wouldn't be out yet."

"She hadn't got a hat on," said Mrs Sprot. "Nor a coat. Her hair was all anyhow and I think she'd been running or something. Quite out of breath. She ran upstairs without a word and she glared - positively glared at me - and I'm sure I hadn't done anything."

Mrs Cayley reappeared at the window.

"Fancy," she said. "Mr Cayley has walked all round the garden by himself. He quite enjoyed it, he said. Such a mild night."

She sat down again.

"Let me see - Oh, do you think we could have the bidding over again?"

Tuppence suppressed a rebellious sigh. They had the bidding all over again and she was left to play three spades.

Mrs Perenna came in just as they were cutting for the next deal.

"Did you enjoy your walk?" asked Miss Minton.

Mrs Perenna stared at her. It was a fierce and unpleasant stare. She said: "I've not been out."

"Oh - oh - I thought Mrs Sprot said you'd come in just now."

Mrs Perenna said: "I just went outside to look at the weather."

Her tone was disagreeable. She threw a hostile glance at the meek Mrs Sprot, who flushed and looked frightened.

"Just fancy," said Mrs Cayley, contributing her item of news, "Mr Cayley walked all round the garden."

Mrs Perenna said sharply: "Why did he do that?"

Mrs Cayley said: "It is such a mild night. He hasn't even put on his second m.u.f.fler and he still doesn't want to come in. I do hope he won't get a chill."

Mrs Perenna said: "There are worse things than chills. A bomb might come any minute and blow us all to bits!"

"Oh, dear. I hope it won't."

"Do you? I rather wish it would."

Mrs Perenna went out of the window. The four bridge players stared after her.

"She seems very odd tonight," said Mrs Sprot.

Miss Minton leaned forward.

"You don't think, do you -" She looked from side to side. They all leaned nearer together. Miss Minton said in a sibilant whisper: "You don't suspect, do you, that she drinks?"

"Oh, dear," said Mrs Cayley, "I wonder now. That would explain it. She really is so - so unaccountable sometimes. What do you think, Mrs Blenkensop?"

"Oh, I don't really think so. I think she's worried about something. Er - it's your call, Mrs Sprot."

"Dear me, what shall I say?" asked Mrs Sprot, surveying her hand.

n.o.body volunteered to tell her, though Miss Minton, who had been gazing with unabashed interest into her hand might have been in a position to advise.

"That isn't Betty, is it?" demanded Mrs Sprot, her head upraised.

"No, it isn't," said Tuppence firmly.

She felt that she might scream unless they could get on with the game.

Mrs Sprot looked at her hand vaguely, her mind still apparently maternal. Then she said: "Oh, one diamond, I think."

The call went round. Mrs Cayley led.

"When in doubt lead a trump, they say," she twittered, and laid down the nine of diamonds.

A deep genial voice said: "'Tis the curse of Scotland that you've played there!"

Mrs O'Rourke stood in the window. She was breathing deeply - her eyes were sparkling. She looked sly and malicious. She advanced into the room.

"Just a nice quiet game of bridge, is it?"

"What's that in your hand?" asked Mrs Sprot, with interest.

"'Tis a hammer," said Mrs O'Rourke amiably. "I found it lying in the drive. No doubt someone left it there."

"It's a funny place to leave a hammer," said Mrs Sprot doubtfully.

"It is that," agreed Mrs O'Rourke.

She seemed in a particularly good humour. Swinging the hammer by its handle she went out into the hall.

"Let me see," said Miss Minton. "What's trumps?"

The game proceeded for five minutes without further interruption, and then Major Bletchley came in. He had been to the pictures and proceeded to tell them in detail the plot of Wandering Minstrel, laid in the reign of Richard the First. The Major, as a military man, criticized at some length the Crusading battle scenes.

The rubber was not finished, for Mrs Cayley, looking at her watch, discovered the lateness of the hour with shrill little cries of horror and rushed out to Mr Cayley. The latter, as a neglected invalid, enjoyed himself a great deal, coughing in a sepulchral manner, s.h.i.+vering dramatically and saying several times: "Quite all right, my dear. I hope you enjoyed your game. It doesn't matter about me at all. Even if I have caught a severe chill, what does it really matter? There's a war on!"

II.

At breakfast the next morning, Tuppence was aware at once of a certain tension in the atmosphere.

Mrs Perenna, her lips pursed very tightly together, was distinctly acrid in the few remarks she made. She left the room with what could only be described as a flounce.

Major Bletchley, spreading marmalade thickly on his toast, gave vent to a deep chuckle.

"Touch of frost in the air," he remarked. "Well, well! Only to be expected, I suppose."

"Why, what has happened?" demanded Miss Minton, leaning forward eagerly, her thin neck twitching with pleasurable antic.i.p.ation.

"Don't know that I ought to tell tales out of school," replied the Major irritatingly.

"Oh! Major Bletchley!"

"Do tell us," said Tuppence.

Major Bletchley looked thoughtfully at his audience: Miss Minton, Mrs Blenkensop, Mrs Cayley and Mrs O'Rourke. Mrs Sprot and Betty had just left. He decided to talk.

"It's Meadowes," he said. "Been out on the tiles all night. Hasn't come home yet."

" What?" exclaimed Tuppence.

Major Bletchley threw her a pleased and malicious glance. He enjoyed the discomfiture of the designing widow.

"Bit of a gay dog, Meadowes," he chortled. "The Perenna's annoyed. Naturally."

"Oh, dear," said Miss Minton, flus.h.i.+ng painfully. Mrs Cayley looked shocked. Mrs O'Rourke merely chuckled.

"Mrs Perenna told me already," she said. "Ah, well, the boys will be boys."