Appleby's Answer Read Online Free PDF

detective novel. However, she believed she didn’t get tipsy very easily. So she asked for more sherry.
    â€˜Of my doing something kind?’ she asked.
    â€˜Certainly. This Captain Bulkington – surrounded by his horrible half-wit youths, and not even able to beat them – probably leads a very dull life. A lonely life, too. What he seeks is simply some pleasant professional association. And you would benefit from it yourself, Priscilla. As a writer, that is. Haven’t some of the reviewers been saying that you have rather run the clergy to death? Literally to death, more often than not. Your art might well benefit from fresh associations. You could stay at “Kandahar”–’
    â€˜That would be most improper.’
    â€˜There is probably a respectable matron or housekeeper or the like who would preserve the convenances . And think of all those youths. They would make a fascinating study. Several of them would probably fall in love with you. Those from long-broken homes, for instance, who have never known a mother.’
    â€˜Or even a maiden aunt.’ Miss Pringle spoke tartly. Barbara’s delightful nonsense could be extremely tiresome. ‘You seem to be much more obsessed with this man than I am. Why not pick him up, and collaborate with him yourself?’
    â€˜Why not, indeed?’ Miss Vanderpump waved her replenished glass gaily. ‘Collaborate, that is. The expression “pick him up” is a somewhat indelicate one. Or why should we not all three collaborate? It would be the greatest fun. Captain Bulkington no doubt takes a keen interest in military history. A romance of the Napoleonic Wars, perhaps. A title comes to me like a flash! Revelry by Night . The reference would be to the Duchess of Richmond’s ball in Brussels on the eve of Waterloo. At the same time, it would be un mot à double entente –’
    â€˜Which, I suppose, is the correct French for what most of us call a double entendre ?’
    â€˜Exactly. And we should be in rivalry with Thackeray in Vanity Fair , not to speak of Lord Byron in Childe Harold . Of course there would be a mystery element, Priscilla, such as only you could provide.’
    â€˜Thank you. But I don’t think Captain Bulkington would be interested in historical romance, even with mysterious corpses thrown in. His taste is for the small-scale and the everyday. He was discontented with Murder in the Cathedral because the cathedral wasn’t something more manageable, such as a parish church. How, he asked me, is a fellow to come by a cathedral?’
    â€˜My dear Priscilla, if that isn’t fishy, what could be fishy? Captain Bulkington is a homicidal maniac.’ Miss Vanderpump had recklessly changed ground. ‘He lives amid fantasies of cunningly contrived murder. He dreams of possessing himself of diabolical infernal machines and poisons unknown to toxicology. When he discovered who you were, you inevitably went to his head.’
    â€˜And you regard all this as a good reason for collaborating with him?’
    â€˜Certainly. There is scope in Captain Bulkington for the most fascinating psychological study.’
    â€˜I think it would be better if his mind were diverted to the Battle of Waterloo.’ Although speaking lightly, Miss Pringle was conscious of feeling considerable perturbation. She was far from certain that there was not some germ of truth in Barbara Vanderpump’s frolicsome interpretation of her adventure. ‘Do you think,’ she asked impulsively, ‘that I ought to tell the police?’ She paused. ‘Seriously, Barbara?’
    â€˜Perhaps you should. Why not tell this interesting man Appleby, whom we are going to meet tonight?’
    â€˜I don’t think that would quite do. Hasn’t he retired? And, in any case, it would not be suitable on a social occasion.’
    â€˜I am unable to agree – not, Priscilla dear, if you do it with proper