03 - Murder in Mink Read Online Free PDF Page A

everyone can get married,
sometimes there isn’t the right person out there for them.”
    “Oh, I know, which is why I feel so lucky finding Andrew.
I sometimes wonder if Susan is jealous. She’s never had a young man of her own
and Peg lost hers during the war.”
    “Really?”
    “Didn’t you know? They were engaged and everything. It
was 1918 I think. That’s when she began dressing like a man.”
    “I’m sorry to hear that. So many people lost loved ones
that way.”
    “Well, I was very lucky that Andrew came back in one piece.”
Laura picked up a turquoise bangle and lazily spun it round in her hand, “Was
Tommy in the war?”
    “Yes, that’s how he lost the use of his legs.”
    “That’s a shame. I didn’t get a chance to speak to him,
but he seems nice. Does he like cars?” Laura was suddenly off her bed and
rummaging through a drawer, “Here, I’ve been dying to find the right person for
these. Brooklands has a race meet on Sunday, an informal thing but there will
be lots of drivers racing. Andrew is in it, we are postponing the honeymoon so
he can race! Just think! I consider that very understanding of me.” Laura expected
approval and Clara quickly agreed.
    “Oh yes, very understanding.”
    “Well, Andrew got these tickets and, golly, if I know who
to ask! But if Tommy would like to go, and you of course, two tickets are
yours.”
    “I think Tommy would like that, but we weren’t planning
on staying beyond the wedding, it might inconvenience Glorianna.”
    “That’s simply solved! You can move in here after the
wedding, we have tons of room and it will be lovely to have you stay on a
while. The honeymoon isn’t until a week after the wedding, what a bore! And
Andrew will be so busy with this race he’ll hardly notice me, so won’t you keep
me company, please?”
    Clara supposed a few more days in the country could not
hurt, it was nice to get away from Brighton and the demands of business. She
accepted the tickets.
    “Tell Tommy he must absolutely insist on a ride in
Andrew’s Napier. She is smashing.”
    Clara’s mind was taken back to another young man who had
loved fast cars. The dashing Captain O’Harris had never been content on
standing still, or for that matter standing on the ground. His last flight in
the Buzzard still haunted her dreams.
    “Gosh Laura, look at the time. I’m expected for lunch.
Will you excuse me?”
    Clara hastened away from the over-powering sense of
romance and hope that pervaded Laura’s rooms. Suddenly it had become too much.
Those few days in the company of Captain O’Harris had awakened a strange dream
inside her, one she had carefully locked away. Now he was gone and the pain was
still raw. She had not loved him, Clara insisted that to herself. She had been
infatuated maybe, attracted yes, but love takes time. Even so, this wedding was
starting to feel as though it might be a painful exercise for her.
     

Chapter Five
    Peg sat opposite Eustace in a leather armchair, smoking a
cigar.
    “Come on man, spill the beans, why did you and father
fall out?”
    Clara was sat at a table by the window writing a postcard
she had almost forgotten to send for a friend’s birthday, as Peg began her
interrogation. Eustace gave a rumbling gruff and swilled his whisky in its
glass.
    “What does it matter to you?”
    “It doesn’t matter one jot, except I am curious.” Peg
sucked contentedly on her cigar, “Bet Clara is too.”
    Clara kept her head down and pretended not to overhear.
    “My fraternal differences are too complicated for light
conversation.”
    Peg made a noise expressing her disbelief.
    “Seriously uncle Eustace, what a bore, here I am prepared
to listen to your side of events and you won’t speak up. Exactly how is that a
defence?”
    “A defence? A defence to what?”
    “To everything! To the tension at dinner last night, to
the clear disharmony between you and father. As it is I am inclined to make up
my own views on the cause, and