The Affair of the Thirty-Nine Cufflinks Read Online Free PDF Page B

again any day now. I must find out if it's still going on.'
     
    * * *
     
    Clara reached forward and took the rough-skinned hand of the plump young girl, who was sitting on the edge of the hard upright chair in the coldly furnished and immaculately tidy drawing-room, an expression of acute doubt on her pale, unattractive face. Clara's claw-like fingers tightened in what was meant to be a reassuring, clasp, but which only made the girl wince slightly. Clara hastily let go.
    'Now, Martha,' she said gently. 'I know you're a good, loyal girl. But when you learn of some terrible deceit, you do have a duty to make sure the truth comes out. It's not right that your master should deceive your mistress in this way. Don't you think she should know about it?'
    Martha nodded.
    'Then can you tell her yourself?'
    'Oh no, madam, I couldn't.'
    'But she'll never find out unless somebody tells her. You tell me and I'll make sure she learns just what's been going on.'
    Martha twisted her hands together. 'I don't know, I'm sure.'
    'You came to me, remember, my dear, not the other way round. All you've told me so far is that your employer is deceiving his wife with another woman, but you haven't even told me his name. Why did you come, by the way? We've never met before, have we?'
    'It was Lily suggested it, madam, Lily Watson. She was in service with Dr. and Mrs Forbes-King.'
    'Ah yes, of course. And in that case, it was the mistress who was carrying on.'
    'That's right, madam, and Lily said that after she told you about it, it all came out. They're divorced now, of course, and Lily had to look for another position, but she said that wasn't your fault.'
    'Of course it wasn't. How can it ever be wrong to tell the truth? Now, I can see you're an honourable girl and you hate carryings-on. They go against everything your mother ever taught you, don't they?'
    'Yes, madam.'
    'And she was a good woman, wasn't she?'
    'Oh yes, madam. She still is. She's still alive.'
    'I'm so glad. The world can ill afford to lose women like your mother. Now I'm sure you want to be a credit to her - speak up fearlessly and uncover all this lying and deceit.'
    'Oh yes, madam, but . . .' Martha ran her tongue round her lips. 'Lily did say as how you made it worth her while, like.'
    'But of course. Virtue should always be rewarded.'
    She opened her clasped left hand to reveal the crisp £5 which was folded in her palm. She made it crackle temptingly. 'Well.' Martha took a deep breath. 'The master is Mr Terence Leigh.'
    Clara's eyebrows shot upwards. 'The novelist?'
    'Yes, madam.'
    'Really? Right, now tell me exactly what happened.'
    'Well, it was Wednesday last week. That's me usual half-day — the mistress changed it this week. Anyway, the mistress had gone to visit her parents and wasn't expected back until late and the master was going to be working in his study. Now, he'd said he'd go out for a meal in the evening and told cook she could have the afternoon off, as well, which was very unusual. She went out about one. I went out about quarter past, and I noticed this big red and white American car parked a little down the road, with a lady sat in it. I didn't think nothing of it, really. I 'adn't gone very far when I found I'd left me purse behind, and I 'ad to go back. The car was still there, but the lady weren't in it. Well, I went in through the servants' door at the back and started up to me room. But when I was passing the main bedroom I heard voices coming from it.'
    By now Clara's long, narrow nose seemed to be almost visibly quivering. 'What voices?'
    'One was definitely the master, and the other a lady.'
    'Could you hear what they were saying?'
    'Just a few words. I heard the lady laughing, and then she gave a sort of little scream. And I heard her say: 'Terry, you're a wicked man, you know that?' And the master, he said: 'And you're absolutely wonderful, Marigold."
    'Marigold? Had you ever heard a mention of that name?'
    'No, madam. And nobody ever calls the