A Death in the Family Read Online Free PDF Page B

Bernard’s talk; the main room was pretty well full, so I was able to bequite unobtrusive at the back. I felt that perhaps I ought to be sitting with Janet who was ensconced in the front row, but then I saw that she’d been taken over by Angela Watson who has this thing about ‘making newcomers feel welcome’ so I didn’t need to feel guilty.
    Bernard’s talk was well received. I must admit that, after the first five minutes, my attention wandered and I began to think about the changes I was planning to make to my garden and the new shrubs I wanted to buy. Halfway through the question period I heard Bernard telling Jennifer Morris more than I’m sure she wanted to know about parish records. I made my escape into the kitchen and put the kettles on.
    There was the usual scrimmage for refreshments after the talk and the usual group who always buttonhole the speaker to go on asking questions. I saw Anthea approach Bernard with a cup of tea, but, absorbed as he was with an audience, he waved her away. This didn’t go down at all well and Anthea came over to me bearing the rejected cup.
    ‘Your cousin,’ she said crossly, ‘doesn’t seem to want this tea. Perhaps you would like it.’ She put the cup down on the table and went away, her back registering extreme umbrage.
    Raymond Poyser, who was standing nearby, moved towards me and said, ‘Is he your cousin then, this Bernard Prior?’
    ‘Yes, he is,’ I said.
    ‘And is he the Bernard Prior who was headmaster of a school near Bristol?’
    I looked at him in some surprise. ‘Yes, as a matter of fact he was.’
    ‘The school,’ Raymond persisted, ‘where there was that scandal?’
    ‘What? What scandal? I haven’t heard anything about that.’
    ‘Oh, I’m sorry – perhaps I shouldn’t have said anything, since he’s a relation…’
    ‘No, really, it’s quite all right. What scandal?’
    ‘He was cleared of all blame,’ Raymond said. ‘The parents were unhappy about the result of the enquiry, but I suppose that was only natural.’
    ‘What enquiry?’ I asked. ‘What happened?’
    ‘One of the boys tried to kill himself – it was all right, they found him in time, but, of course, it was all very upsetting.’
    ‘How dreadful!’
    ‘They said he’d been bullied – well you hear a lot about bullying now, don’t you, and he was a sensitive boy, an only child and all that.’
    ‘And the staff didn’t realise what was going on?’
    ‘Partly that.’ Raymond paused for a moment as if considering the matter. ‘I think what people thought was that the headmaster didn’t take that sort of thing very seriously. From what I heard he was the sort of person who doesn’t have much sympathy for people, and boys who don’t stand up for themselves.’
    ‘Yes, I can see that,’ I said.
    ‘Not,’ Raymond said hastily, ‘that he was actually held responsible for what happened, but, you know how it is, people have to blame someone and there was quite a bit about it in the local paper – I don’t think it got into the nationals. I expect that’s why you didn’t hear about it.’
    ‘Yes, I expect so. I don’t see Bernard very often. In fact this visit is the first time I’ve seen him for, goodness, it must be over fifteen years.’
    ‘He doesn’t live down here, then?’
    ‘No, he’s just down here to do some research. He’s renting a holiday cottage at Avill, just outside Dunster.’
    ‘I hope you didn’t mind my mentioning it,’ Raymond said, ‘but I was struck by the coincidence. The boy concerned is the nephew of my neighbour, Tony Pritchard, so naturally I was interested.’
    ‘No, I’m glad you told me…’
    Anthea reappeared at my shoulder. ‘Sheila, would you mind helping Peggy with the washing up, she’s all alone out there.’ She turned to Raymond. ‘Just the person I wanted to see. When will you be able to move those trestles for the Bring and Buy sale?’
    As I stood at the sink, automatically drying the cups and saucers