Verity Sparks and the Scarlet Hand Read Online Free PDF Page A

made our way towards the gentleman – a perfect stranger – I was fearful that she’d follow. But when I looked over my shoulder, she was nowhere to be seen.

5
GRAND OPERA
    When we arrived back at Alhambra, we found that Papa’s lawyer, Mr Quamby, was waiting for him. They spoke together in low voices for a few seconds, and then disappeared into Papa’s study. Kathleen took in two glasses and the brandy decanter and as the door opened, the smell of cigars wafted out. It was a business meeting.
    I drifted into the drawing room. Poppy and Connie were squeezed together on the piano stool and Connie was pointing to some sheet music on the stand.
    “What are those notes, Poppy?” Connie was asking. “Do you remember?”
    I hadn’t known Connie was teaching Poppy to play. I moved closer.
    “Minnows. And them ones is quivers, and them other ones is semi-quivers.”
    I stood behind them. “Minims, Poppy,” I corrected. “And quavers.”
    “We know,” said Connie. “We just like to give things funny names.”
    Oh. Though they both smiled at me, I knew I’d interfered.
    “See? Scale of C major.” Stretching her hands as wide as she could, Poppy tinkled up and down the keys. “Connie says I’m gettin’ better all the time. Connie says even if I
didn’t
want to get better, I couldn’t ’elp it. An’ do you know why, Verity?”
    “Why?”
    “Practice,” said Poppy. How smug she sounded. “Connie says practice makes perfeck.”
    They smiled at each other and I realised that somehow the shy, sensitive country girl and the streetwise urchin gave each other something no one else could. They were a perfeck combination, as Poppy would say. I left them to their scales.

    My favourite place in Alhambra was the tower. Mrs Morcom said it resembled an upturned chamber pot, but since I didn’t care about architecture I often climbed the circular staircase and sat on the bench looking out over Port Phillip Bay. It was a good place to be alone and think. This evening the sun was sinking amid brilliant red and orange clouds tinged with gold. They looked like fiery dragons in the western sky.
    However, I wasn’t in the mood to appreciate the beauties of nature. I had other things to think about. All the way home, I’d debated with myself about whether to tell Papa about the mysterious stranger. I didn’t want to worry him, but neither did I want him suddenly confronted with Mama’s double. Who knew what the shock might do to his heart?
    “Veroschka?” It was Papa, calling from the bottom of the stairs. “What are you doing up there all by yourself?”
    “Just thinking, Papa.”
    “Come down,
chérie
. I have something to tell you.”
    Papa sounded serious. Had Mr Quamby brought bad news? I took the steps two at a time.
    “No, no, nothing is wrong,” said Papa, seeing my face. “Mr Quamby has given me a surprising letter. It was forwarded from my solicitor in London. Come to my study and I will show it to you.”
    It was from a firm of lawyers in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and it was dated nearly five months ago. I read the first couple of sentences.
    We wish to inform you that your late wife’s brother, Mr Hiram Parker, has died. Mr Parker, a bachelor, has left his entire fortune to his nearest remaining relative.
    “Which is you,” said Papa.
    “Me?”
    “Yes. I wrote to Hiram when I found you last year. I wanted your only uncle to know you were alive. There was no reply. Perhaps he was already ill. But now, this news. Veroschka, you are a very, very rich girl.”
    I sat back in my armchair and pondered. I would inherit Mama’s fortune when I turned twenty-five. And Papa’s too, eventually – though I didn’t want to think about
that
. So I was rich enough already. I didn’t need Uncle Hiram’s money and to tell you the truth, I felt odd about inheriting it.
    “Has he truly no other relations?”
    Papa shook his head. “There was another brother, Waldo. Isabella loved him dearly, but he died young.