Spinsters in Jeopardy Read Online Free PDF Page A

chap for the time being. He’s turned on an elderly Mercedes and a driver. Damn civil of him. I’ve just been talking to him. Full of apologies for not coming down himself but he thought, very wisely, that we’d better not be seen together. He says our chauffeur is a reliable chap with an admirable record. He and the car are on tap outside the station now and our luggage will be collected by the hotel waggon. Baradi suggests I take Miss Truebody straight to the Chèvre d’Argent. While we’re on the way he will make what preparations he can. Luckily he’s got his instruments, and Claudel has given me some pipkins of anaesthetic. Baradi asked if I could give the anaesthetic.”
    “Can you?”
    “I did once, in a ship. As long as nothing goes very wrong, it’s fairly simple. If Baradi thinks it is safe to wait he’ll try to get an anaesthetist from Douceville or somewhere. But it seems there’s some sort of doctor’s jamboree on today at St. Christophe and they’ve all cleared off to it. It’s only ten kilometres from here to the Chèvre d’Argent by the inland road. I’ll drop you and Ricky at the hotel here, darling, and take Miss Truebody on.”
    “Are there any women in the house?”
    “I don’t know.” Alleyn stopped short and then said: “Yes. Yes, I do. There are women.”
    Troy watched him for a moment and then said: “All right. Let’s get her aboard. You take Ricky.”
    Alleyn lifted him from her lap and she went to Miss Truebody. “She’s tiny,” Troy said under her breath. “Could she be carried?”
    “I think so. Wait a moment.”
    He took Ricky out and was back in a few seconds with the station-master and a man wearing a chauffeur’s cap over a mop of glossy curls.
    He was a handsome little fellow with an air of readiness. He saluted Troy gallantly, taking off his peaked cap and smiling at her. Then he saw Miss Truebody and made a clucking sound. Troy had put a travelling rug on the bench and they made a sort of stretcher of it and carried Miss Truebody out to a large car in the station yard. Ricky was curled up on the front seat. They managed to fit Miss Truebody into the back one. The driver pulled down a tip-up seat and Troy sat on that. Miss Truebody had opened her eyes. She said in a quiet, clear voice: “Too kind,” and Troy took her hand. Alleyn, in the front, held Ricky on his lap and they started off up a steep little street through Roqueville. The thin dawnlight gave promise of a glaring day. It was already very warm.
    “To the Hôtel Royal, Monsieur?” asked the driver.
    “No,” said Troy with Miss Truebody’s little claw clutching at her fingers. “No, please, Rory. I’ll come with her. Ricky won’t wake for hours. We can wait in the car or he can drive us back. I might be some use.”
    “To the Château de la Chèvre d’Argent,” Alleyn said, “and gently.”
    “Perfectly, Monsieur,” said the driver. “Always, always gently.”
    Roqueville was a very small town. It climbed briefly up the hill and petered out in a string of bleached villas. The road mounted between groves of olive trees and the air was like a benison, soft and clean. The sea extended itself beneath them and enriched itself with a blueness of incredible intensity.
    Alleyn turned to took at Troy. They were quite close to each other and spoke over their shoulders like people in a Victorian “Conversation” chair. It was clear that Miss Truebody, even if she could hear them, was not able to concentrate or indeed to listen. “Dr. Claudel,” Alleyn said, “thought it was the least risky thing to do. I half expected Baradi would refuse, but he was surprisingly co-operative. He’s supposed to be a good man at his job.” He made a movement of his head to indicate the driver. “This chap doesn’t speak English,” he said. “And, by the way, darling, no more chat about my being a policeman.”
    Troy said: “Have I been a nuisance?”
    “It’s all right. I asked Claudel to forget it and I