Miss Marple and Mystery Read Online Free PDF Page B

better take the first train back to town.’
    The Inspector looked at his watch.
    ‘That will be a slow train, I’m afraid, sir. Better wait for the express.’
    ‘It doesn’t matter,’ said George gloomily. ‘No train could be slower than the one I came down by yesterday.’
    Seated once more in a first-class carriage, George leisurely perused the day’s news. Suddenly he sat bolt upright and stared at the sheet in front of him.
    ‘A romantic wedding took place yesterday in London when Lord Roland Gaigh, second son of the Marquis of Axminster, was married to the Grand Duchess Anastasia of Catonia. The ceremony was kept a profound secret. The Grand Duchess has been living in Paris with her uncle since the upheaval in Catonia. She met Lord Roland when he was secretary to the British Embassy in Catonia and their attachment dates from that time.’
    ‘Well, I’m –’
    Mr Rowland could not think of anything strong enough to express his feelings. He continued to stare into space. The train stopped at a small station and a lady got in. She sat down opposite him.
    ‘Good-morning, George,’ she said sweetly.
    ‘Good heavens!’ cried George. ‘Elizabeth!’
    She smiled at him. She was, if possible, lovelier than ever. ‘Look here,’ cried George, clutching his head. ‘For God’s sake tell me. Are you the Grand Duchess Anastasia, or are you Betty Brighteyes?’
    She stared at him.
    ‘I’m not either. I’m Elizabeth Gaigh. I can tell you all about it now. And I’ve got to apologize too. You see, Roland (that’s my brother) has always been in love with Alexa –’
    ‘Meaning the Grand Duchess?’
    ‘Yes, that’s what the family call her. Well, as I say, Roland was always in love with her, and she with him. And then the revolution came, and Alexa was in Paris, and they were just going to fix it up when old Stürm, the chancellor, came along and insisted on carrying off Alexa and forcing her to marry Prince Karl, her cousin, a horrid pimply person –’
    ‘I fancy I’ve met him,’ said George.
    ‘Whom she simply hates. And old Prince Usric, her uncle, forbade her to see Roland again. So she ran away to England, and I came up to town and met her, and we wired to Roland who was in Scotland. And just at the very last minute, when we were driving to the Registry Office in a taxi, whom should we meet in another taxi face to face, but old Prince Usric. Of course he followed us, and we were at our wits’ end what to do because he’d have made the most fearful scene, and, anyway, he is her guardian. Then I had the brilliant idea of changing places. You can practically see nothing of a girl nowadays but the tip of her nose. I put on Alexa’s red hat and brown wrap coat, and she put on my grey. Then we told the taxi to go to Waterloo, and I skipped out there and hurried into the station. Old Osric followed the red hat all right, without a thought for the other occupant of the taxi sitting huddled up inside, but of course it wouldn’t do for him to see my face. So I just bolted into your carriage and threw myself on your mercy.’
    ‘I’ve got that all right,’ said George. ‘It’s the rest of it.’
    ‘I know. That’s what I’ve got to apologize about. I hope you won’t be awfully cross. You see, you looked so keen on its being a real mystery – like in books, that I really couldn’t resist the temptation. I picked out a rather sinister looking man on the platform and told you to follow him. And then I thrust the parcel on you.’
    ‘Containing a wedding ring.’
    ‘Yes. Alexa and I bought that, because Roland wasn’t due to arrive from Scotland until just before the wedding. And of course I knew that by the time I got to London they wouldn’t want it – they would have had to use a curtain ring or something.’
    ‘I see,’ said George. ‘It’s like all these things – so simple when you know! Allow me, Elizabeth.’
    He stripped off her left glove, and uttered a sigh of relief at the sight