he's so confoundedly touchy,” said Major Horton. “Seems to think he's God Almighty and that anyone who disagrees with him is committing lese-majeste. Heard of his row with Humbleby?”
“They had a row, did they?”
“First-class row. Mind you, that doesn't surprise me. Humbleby was an opinionated ass. Still, there it is.”
“His death was very sad.”
“Humbleby's? Yes, I suppose it was. Lack of ordinary care. Blood poisoning's a damned dangerous thing. Always put iodine on a cut, I do! Simple precaution. Humbleby, who's a doctor, doesn't do anything of the sort. It just shows.” Luke was not quite sure what it showed, but he let that pass. Glancing at his watch, he got up. Major Horton said, “Getting on for lunchtime? So it is. Well, glad to have had a chat with you. Does me good to see a man who's been about a bit. We must have a yarn some other time. Where was your show? Mayang Straits? Never been there. Hear you're writing a book. Superstitions and all that.”
“Yes, I -”
But Major Horton swept on, “I can tell you several very interesting things. When I was in India, my boy -”
Luke escaped some ten minutes later, after enduring the usual histories of fakirs, rope and mango tricks, dear to the retired Anglo-Indian. As he stepped out into the open air and heard the Major's voice bellowing to Nero behind him, he marveled at the miracle of married life. Major Horton seemed genuinely to regret a wife who, by all accounts, not excluding his own, must have been nearly allied to a man-eating tiger. Or was it, Luke asked himself the question suddenly - was it an exceedingly clever bluff?
Murder is Easy
Chapter 12
The afternoon of the tennis party was, fortunately, fine. Lord Easterfield was in his most genial mood, acting the part of the host with a good deal of enjoyment. He referred frequently to his humble origin. The players were eight in all - Lord Easterfield, Bridget, Luke, Rose Humbleby, Mr. Abbot, Doctor Thomas, Major Horton and Hetty Jones, a giggling young woman who was the daughter of the bank manager.
In the second set of the afternoon, Luke found himself partnering Bridget against Lord Easterfield and Rose Humbleby. Rose was a good player with a strong forehand drive, and played in county matches. She atoned for Lord Easterfield's failures, and Bridget and Luke, who were neither of them particularly strong, made quite an even match of it. They were three games all, and then Luke found a streak of erratic brilliance and he and Bridget forged ahead to 5-3. It was then he observed that Lord Easterfield was losing his temper. He argued over a line ball, declared a serve to be a fault, in spite of Rose's disclaimer, and displayed all the attributes of a peevish child. It was set point, but Bridget sent an easy shot into the net and immediately after served a double fault. Deuce. The next ball was returned down the middle line, and as he prepared to take it, he and his partner collided. Then Bridget served another double fault and the game was lost.
Bridget apologized, “Sorry; I've gone to pieces.”
It seemed true enough. Bridget's shots were wild and she seemed to be unable to do anything right. The set ended with Lord Easterfield and his partner victorious with the score of 8-6. There was a momentary discussion as to the composition of the next set. In the end, Rose played again, with Mr. Abbot as her partner, against Doctor Thomas and Miss Jones.
Lord Easterfield sat down, wiping his forehead and smiling complacently, his good humor quite restored. He began to talk to Major Horton on the subject of a series of articles on “Fitness for Britain” which one of his papers was starting. Luke said to Bridget, “Show me the kitchen garden.”
“Why the kitchen garden?”
“I have a feeling for cabbages.”
“Won't green peas do?”
“Green peas would be admirable.”
They walked away from the tennis court and came to the walled kitchen garden. It was empty of gardeners this
“They had a row, did they?”
“First-class row. Mind you, that doesn't surprise me. Humbleby was an opinionated ass. Still, there it is.”
“His death was very sad.”
“Humbleby's? Yes, I suppose it was. Lack of ordinary care. Blood poisoning's a damned dangerous thing. Always put iodine on a cut, I do! Simple precaution. Humbleby, who's a doctor, doesn't do anything of the sort. It just shows.” Luke was not quite sure what it showed, but he let that pass. Glancing at his watch, he got up. Major Horton said, “Getting on for lunchtime? So it is. Well, glad to have had a chat with you. Does me good to see a man who's been about a bit. We must have a yarn some other time. Where was your show? Mayang Straits? Never been there. Hear you're writing a book. Superstitions and all that.”
“Yes, I -”
But Major Horton swept on, “I can tell you several very interesting things. When I was in India, my boy -”
Luke escaped some ten minutes later, after enduring the usual histories of fakirs, rope and mango tricks, dear to the retired Anglo-Indian. As he stepped out into the open air and heard the Major's voice bellowing to Nero behind him, he marveled at the miracle of married life. Major Horton seemed genuinely to regret a wife who, by all accounts, not excluding his own, must have been nearly allied to a man-eating tiger. Or was it, Luke asked himself the question suddenly - was it an exceedingly clever bluff?
Murder is Easy
Chapter 12
The afternoon of the tennis party was, fortunately, fine. Lord Easterfield was in his most genial mood, acting the part of the host with a good deal of enjoyment. He referred frequently to his humble origin. The players were eight in all - Lord Easterfield, Bridget, Luke, Rose Humbleby, Mr. Abbot, Doctor Thomas, Major Horton and Hetty Jones, a giggling young woman who was the daughter of the bank manager.
In the second set of the afternoon, Luke found himself partnering Bridget against Lord Easterfield and Rose Humbleby. Rose was a good player with a strong forehand drive, and played in county matches. She atoned for Lord Easterfield's failures, and Bridget and Luke, who were neither of them particularly strong, made quite an even match of it. They were three games all, and then Luke found a streak of erratic brilliance and he and Bridget forged ahead to 5-3. It was then he observed that Lord Easterfield was losing his temper. He argued over a line ball, declared a serve to be a fault, in spite of Rose's disclaimer, and displayed all the attributes of a peevish child. It was set point, but Bridget sent an easy shot into the net and immediately after served a double fault. Deuce. The next ball was returned down the middle line, and as he prepared to take it, he and his partner collided. Then Bridget served another double fault and the game was lost.
Bridget apologized, “Sorry; I've gone to pieces.”
It seemed true enough. Bridget's shots were wild and she seemed to be unable to do anything right. The set ended with Lord Easterfield and his partner victorious with the score of 8-6. There was a momentary discussion as to the composition of the next set. In the end, Rose played again, with Mr. Abbot as her partner, against Doctor Thomas and Miss Jones.
Lord Easterfield sat down, wiping his forehead and smiling complacently, his good humor quite restored. He began to talk to Major Horton on the subject of a series of articles on “Fitness for Britain” which one of his papers was starting. Luke said to Bridget, “Show me the kitchen garden.”
“Why the kitchen garden?”
“I have a feeling for cabbages.”
“Won't green peas do?”
“Green peas would be admirable.”
They walked away from the tennis court and came to the walled kitchen garden. It was empty of gardeners this
Similar Books
