Murder Goes Mumming Read Online Free PDF Page A

hear them?”
    Janet couldn’t see how anybody could distinguish one sound from another in this babble, unless it was a bray like May’s. Moreover, she didn’t like having her arm clutched and her ear hissed into. She was about to pull away when she realized the grabber was an elderly woman who, for a wonder, was not wearing a wool skirt and pullover but an old-fashioned dinner gown of rubbed wine-colored velvet.
    Perhaps this was Mrs. Squire. Then again, perhaps it wasn’t. The hand on her arm bore several antique garnet and opal rings, but no plain gold band.
    “How do you do?” she said. “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Janet Wadman.”
    “Ah, but you won’t be for long. You’re going to be married much sooner than you think, and it won’t be the way you planned it, either. It’s all happened faster than you expected, but never you mind. You’re the only one in the world for him and he’s the one for you and there’s nobody going to talk you out of it, though there’s somebody who’s going to try. Look, I told you he was coming. What did you ever see in a thing like that?”
    “I’ve often wondered.”
    Janet was not really surprised to see who’d got himself invited to Graylings as Valerie Condrycke’s escort. After all, Val was a board member’s daughter and Roy Robbins couldn’t rise far on looks and charm unless he applied them in higher places than the typing pool.
    Roy himself went into shock when he caught sight of Janet. His eyes looked glazed as he turned his head away and let himself be hustled across the floor by Squire. It hadn’t been good office politics getting off on the wrong foot with the head of the family first crack off the bat like this. Perhaps she ought to give him a hint for auld lang syne.
    It seemed unbelievable to Janet, watching Roy tag on to the rope behind Madoc, that a year ago this time she’d fancied herself in love with that shop-window dummy. She’d been flattered, she supposed, and too green to know better. At least she’d had sense enough to learn from the experience. She wondered whether Val would. No sense in trying to tell her, of course. But how had this odd old woman known about herself and Roy, and about her hurried-up engagement? Who was she, anyway?
    There was no time now to ask. The men on the rope were pulling a great log across the floor. It lay on a well-waxed skid and must not be all that difficult to move, though everybody except Madoc was putting on a great show of slaving at the task. Rhys was only looking gently amused and quite remarkably handsome, Janet thought, among this lot of blond beeves. Roy was going to be just like the Condryckes in a few years; still a fine-looking chap, no doubt, but too thick around the beltline and running to jowl at the jaws. He’d got over his astonishment now and was grunting and groaning with the best of them while the women cheered them on.
    Suddenly Janet wasn’t tired any more. She was laughing and clapping while Squire and his crew with great fanfare rolled the Yule log into the fireplace and set it alight. She was running across the Great Hall to hug her sweetheart, knowing she was his and the odd old lady was right forever and ever, amen. On the whole, she was rather pleased than not that Roy was here, because now she knew she’d never have to give him another thought, but only a pleasant nod and smile as she would any casual acquaintance.
    “Hello, Roy. Happy Yuletide. Is that the proper thing to say, Squire?”
    “Oh, do you two know each other?”
    “Of course. I used to type up his letters.”
    “And correct my spelling.” Roy was himself now, all teeth and personality.
    “But now she brings me my tea.” Donald laid a hand on each of their shoulders. “Though not for long, I’m afraid. Janet’s about to retire from the business world. Right, Madoc?”
    “Couldn’t be righter. She’ll be giving you her notice for a Christmas box. Mother’s ordered us to start house hunting