here,” she said, and Jo whirled around, her face full of worry.
“Where’ve you been? I tried to phone you, and I’ve been round twice today.What’s happened to you?”
“My phone got broken yesterday when I was … Come in—I’ll open a bottle of wine and explain.”
They settled in the sitting room with their glasses, but when Jo heard about the attempted bag-snatching, she jumped up and paced the room. She worried that Pru acted too flippantly about her chances of being accosted again. “What if it had something to do with the murder? There you were right out in front of the Wilsons’ house—he was obviously waiting for you. And then you walk off today all alone.”
“I was around loads of people. I was in no danger. And what do I know about the murder? Why would anyone want to hurt me? I can’t tell them anything because I don’t know anything.”
“You may know more than you realize,” Jo said mysteriously, then immediately lightened up. “Isn’t that what they always say in those novels?” She sat back on the sofa next to Pru and gasped. “I forgot my news—Cordelia’s pregnant!”
“Pregnant? Ah, Jo, you’ll be a granny.”
“Dele and Lucy have been planning it for ages—I wasn’t allowed to breathe a word until they knew for sure. They even picked out the sperm donor together.”
Pru heard a small, muffled crash from behind a closed door somewhere. “What’s that?” She turned her head around, trying to locate where the sound came from.
Jo didn’t move her head but blinked. “What?”
“Did you hear that? Didn’t it sound like it was close?”
“I didn’t hear anything,” Jo said.
Pru stood up and walked into the hall and listened. “Did it come from the basement? It sounded like something fell.”
Jo became engrossed in her phone. “I didn’t hear it. Are you sure it wasn’t something outside?”
“No, I … I don’t know. Maybe.” Pru stayed in the hall.
“Pru,” Jo said, looking up brightly, “maybe it’s a mouse. There might be a mouse in the basement.”
“A mouse?”
“You aren’t afraid of mice, are you?” Jo asked with a concerned look on her face.
“No,” Pru said in a faint voice, picturing the mouse running out of the Wilsons’ garden shed just before she found Jeremy’s body. “I don’t mind a mouse. Do you think it will stay down there?”
“It would never come up here, Pru,” Jo said, putting a hand on Pru’s arm. “I’m sure of it. It’ll probably just go back to wherever it came from.” She was at the door in aflash for as quick an exit as Pru had ever seen. “I’ll see you at the weekend. Bye now.”
Sir Frank Chesterton Victorian Gardens and Grottoes
The Bank
Much Wenlock
Shropshire
TF13 6AA
30 September
72 Grovehill Square
Chelsea
London SW3
Dear Ms. Parke,
Thank you for your application of 27 August for the position of head gardener at the Sir Frank Chesterton Victorian Gardens and Grottoes. I write to regretfully inform you that you have not been selected for the post. We appreciate your enthusiasm for and knowledge of Victorian gardens, ferneries, and stumperies, which we are sure will be valuable to you in securing a post of your choosing.
We appreciate your interest and wish you well in your future endeavours.
Yours sincerely,
Albert Pymm-Scott, director
Sir Frank Chesterton Victorian Gardens and Grottoes
APS/scw
Primrose House
Bells Yew Green
Royal Tunbridge Wells
East Sussex
TN3 9BJ
30 September
72 Grovehill Square
Chelsea
London SW3
Dear Ms. Parke,
Thank you for your application for the post of head gardener at Primrose House. We would be happy to speak with you in person about the post at your earliest convenience. Please ring us on 0871 951 9177 so that we can set up a time for your visit and interview.
We’ve included a brief leaflet about Primrose House for a little background reading.
Kind regards,
Davina and Bryan Templeton
First stop Monday: a new phone.
How did
“Where’ve you been? I tried to phone you, and I’ve been round twice today.What’s happened to you?”
“My phone got broken yesterday when I was … Come in—I’ll open a bottle of wine and explain.”
They settled in the sitting room with their glasses, but when Jo heard about the attempted bag-snatching, she jumped up and paced the room. She worried that Pru acted too flippantly about her chances of being accosted again. “What if it had something to do with the murder? There you were right out in front of the Wilsons’ house—he was obviously waiting for you. And then you walk off today all alone.”
“I was around loads of people. I was in no danger. And what do I know about the murder? Why would anyone want to hurt me? I can’t tell them anything because I don’t know anything.”
“You may know more than you realize,” Jo said mysteriously, then immediately lightened up. “Isn’t that what they always say in those novels?” She sat back on the sofa next to Pru and gasped. “I forgot my news—Cordelia’s pregnant!”
“Pregnant? Ah, Jo, you’ll be a granny.”
“Dele and Lucy have been planning it for ages—I wasn’t allowed to breathe a word until they knew for sure. They even picked out the sperm donor together.”
Pru heard a small, muffled crash from behind a closed door somewhere. “What’s that?” She turned her head around, trying to locate where the sound came from.
Jo didn’t move her head but blinked. “What?”
“Did you hear that? Didn’t it sound like it was close?”
“I didn’t hear anything,” Jo said.
Pru stood up and walked into the hall and listened. “Did it come from the basement? It sounded like something fell.”
Jo became engrossed in her phone. “I didn’t hear it. Are you sure it wasn’t something outside?”
“No, I … I don’t know. Maybe.” Pru stayed in the hall.
“Pru,” Jo said, looking up brightly, “maybe it’s a mouse. There might be a mouse in the basement.”
“A mouse?”
“You aren’t afraid of mice, are you?” Jo asked with a concerned look on her face.
“No,” Pru said in a faint voice, picturing the mouse running out of the Wilsons’ garden shed just before she found Jeremy’s body. “I don’t mind a mouse. Do you think it will stay down there?”
“It would never come up here, Pru,” Jo said, putting a hand on Pru’s arm. “I’m sure of it. It’ll probably just go back to wherever it came from.” She was at the door in aflash for as quick an exit as Pru had ever seen. “I’ll see you at the weekend. Bye now.”
Sir Frank Chesterton Victorian Gardens and Grottoes
The Bank
Much Wenlock
Shropshire
TF13 6AA
30 September
72 Grovehill Square
Chelsea
London SW3
Dear Ms. Parke,
Thank you for your application of 27 August for the position of head gardener at the Sir Frank Chesterton Victorian Gardens and Grottoes. I write to regretfully inform you that you have not been selected for the post. We appreciate your enthusiasm for and knowledge of Victorian gardens, ferneries, and stumperies, which we are sure will be valuable to you in securing a post of your choosing.
We appreciate your interest and wish you well in your future endeavours.
Yours sincerely,
Albert Pymm-Scott, director
Sir Frank Chesterton Victorian Gardens and Grottoes
APS/scw
Primrose House
Bells Yew Green
Royal Tunbridge Wells
East Sussex
TN3 9BJ
30 September
72 Grovehill Square
Chelsea
London SW3
Dear Ms. Parke,
Thank you for your application for the post of head gardener at Primrose House. We would be happy to speak with you in person about the post at your earliest convenience. Please ring us on 0871 951 9177 so that we can set up a time for your visit and interview.
We’ve included a brief leaflet about Primrose House for a little background reading.
Kind regards,
Davina and Bryan Templeton
First stop Monday: a new phone.
How did
Similar Books
