Buckingham Palace Gardens Read Online Free PDF Page B

replied with a slight smile, pushing her hair back off her brow. “We can manage it for a week.”
    â€œI’m afraid today will be a lot worse,” Bartle said grimly. “You’d better take a sip or two o’ that tea.” She placed the tray on Elsa’s lap and poured from the pot without being asked to.
    â€œWhy? Is Mr. Dunkeld in an ill temper?” As soon as Elsa had said it she regretted being so frank. She should keep her fear to herself.
    â€œNot as far as I know, ma’am,” Bartle answered, pulling her lips tight. “In fact, full of ’imself. Taking charge of everything.”
    That was unusual candor, even for Bartle. For the first time it occurred to Elsa that there was something really wrong. “What is it?” she said nervously. “What’s happened?” She imagined some romantic intrigue. The first and most obvious one that came to her mind concerned Cahoon’s daughter by his first marriage, Minnie Sorokine. Minnie was in her late twenties, tall and slender, yet with a voluptuous grace. She was not conventionally beautiful; instead, she had an air of daring and glamour about her that was more exciting than mere regularity of features or flawlessness of complexion. It suggested passion and originality, a challenge to master. There was something unsatisfied in her that gave her a restlessness many men found attractive. Eight years ago she had married Julius Sorokine. This fact was so painful to Elsa that she couldn’t bear to dwell on it, and yet neither could she fully leave it alone. Minnie and Julius’s wedding had happened just before Elsa had married Cahoon, although Elsa was ten years Minnie’s senior. Family obligations had delayed the point where Elsa was able to marry, which in fact had not been a hardship because there had been no one she truly loved. But then she met Julius, and of course that was far too late. By then he was her son-in-law, and there was no hope at all for any other relationship between them, just a dream that there could have been something infinitely, passionately better than this! Her life could have had laughter in it, kindness, the sharing of joy and pain, the trust and the inner gentleness that is love.
    But Minnie had not found it in Julius, or she would never have indulged in that brief, white-hot affair with Julius’s half-brother, Simnel Marquand.
    â€œWhat is it, Bartie?” Elsa said more abruptly. “Stop fussing with the things on the dressing table and tell me.” She took a second sip of her tea, steadying herself.
    Bartle put down the tortoiseshell-backed hairbrush. “The gentlemen had a…a party last night,” she said stiffly. “It seems one of the trollops they had in got herself killed…in the linen cupboard of all places.” She sniffed. In spite of her words, her face was crumpled with pity. “I can’t imagine what the stupid creature was doing there. Although I suppose they have to do whatever they’re paid for, poor things.”
    â€œKilled?” Elsa was incredulous. The cup nearly slipped out of her hand. “What kind of an accident can you have in a linen cupboard, for goodness’ sake? You must be mistaken.”
    â€œIt wasn’t an accident, Miss Elsa,” Bartle explained miserably. “They’ve got the police in. That’s why everyone’s having breakfast in bed. The Prince has asked everyone to stay in their rooms until it’s been seen to.”
    â€œThat’s absurd.” Elsa struggled to grasp the meaning of what Bartle had said. “No one here would kill anybody, and surely the Palace, of all places, cannot be broken into?”
    â€œNo, miss. That’s what’s so bad about it,” Bartle agreed, waiting for Elsa to understand.
    â€œIt must have been an accident.” Elsa’s mind raced to think what could have happened. She had gone to bed early, as had the other