The Beckoning Lady Read Online Free PDF Page A

as the lubricant of his latter years, mingled with the chatter of the mill-race.
    â€œLeave them lemons and come ’ere. Bottle o’ beer’sgone over in the back. Save the fags or they’ll be as wet as a Brewer’s Calamity. Buck up. Waste not want not. Where d’you think you are? In the Army? We’ve got to do more than
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for this lot.”
    Amanda left them to it and came over to take the chair Campion pulled out for her beside his own. She was brown and dusty and her honey-coloured eyes were dancing. She spread out her oil-stained hands and her heart-shaped face was alive with laughter.
    â€œTwenty years doesn’t count, apparently,” she said, her high clear voice sounding suitably gratified. “I’m having the resident mechanic’s return. I took down Honesty Bull’s electric pump this morning. He’s still landlord of The Gauntlett and sent you his best respects. I also saw Scatty Williams who used to work for us. He said I could take his television to bits seeing as how I’d designed an aeroplane! Oh I am having a lovely time.”
    â€œSo am I,” said Mr. Campion. “Been to see a grave. There was a ghoul there.” He felt a brute as her smile faded and he patted her apologetically. “Tonker’s coming,” he said to cheer her.
    â€œOh but he’s not.” It was her turn to be sorry for him. “We met them in the village. They’re late for the train. They can’t make it this morning but Minnie wants us to go over after lunch, if you don’t mind awfully working very hard. They’re getting ready for the party on Saturday. Hallo Prune.”
    â€œHallo.” Prune’s eyes were like a Siamese cat’s in colour and she turned them reluctantly from the unnervingly silent figure of the Chief Inspector and settled herself to behave.
    â€œIt’s still on, is it, the party?” she enquired dreamily. “The Revver thought that Minnie was sounding him about it, to see if it was decent to have it so soon after the funeral, I mean, but he couldn’t be sure. She’s not too happy about it, is she?”
    Amanda appeared to consider the question with great seriousness.
    â€œI don’t know,” she said at last. “She’s a little bit odd, and she’s hurt her eye or something. But Tonker has no doubts at all. He says it’s been laid on for six months and that his old friend Uncle William would burst like a subterranean magnum at the thought of being the cause, however innocent, of delaying the just consumption of alcohol. He also says that he’s no idea who he’s asked anyway, and so there’s no question of putting anyone off. He’s going to have the party.” She glanced at Campion. “It’s a Perception and Company Limited do. Tonker and Wally have laid it on and the Augusts are coming.”
    Prune stirred. “Last time the Augusts came to one of Tonker’s parties it was clowns
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. kids all over the estate, and there was an awful row because somebody’s child got kidnapped and turned up inside the big drum at the grand finale of ‘Socks and Shoes’ at the Hippodrome.”
    Amanda nodded gravely. “I heard about that. I heard a lot of peculiar things in the village. Is Minnie all right, Prune?”
    â€œI think so.” The observation did not sound convincing. “I haven’t seen her for ages, and anyway I expect she’s rather upset about Uncle William. She was very fond of him and he did die very suddenly, and it was only last Friday midnight.”
    â€œHow were they today?” Mr. Campion sounded wistful and a grin split Amanda’s triangular mouth.
    â€œTo be honest, they looked like a seaside picture-postcard,” she said, laughing. “They were wedged in the tub cart together, with the donkey in front looking very knock-kneed. Minnie had her John hat on her grey bob and Tonker was all dressed