Sparkling Cyanide Part 2

She thought she saw what was in his mind. He must have got wind of Rosemary's unhappy love affair. Rosemary's unhappy love affair.

She said slowly: "She never said much. I mean - she was always busy - doing things." doing things."

"And you were only a kid, of course. Yes, I know. All the same, I thought she might have said something." thought she might have said something."

He looked at her inquiringly - rather like a hopeful dog.

She didn't want George to be hurt. And anyway Rosemary never had said anything. said anything.

She shook her head.

George sighed. He said heavily: "Oh, well, it doesn't matter."

Another day he asked her suddenly who Rosemary's best women friends had been. friends had been.

Iris reflected.

"Gloria King. Mrs Atwell - Maisie Atwell. Jean Raymond."

"How intimate was she with them?"

"Well, I don't know exactly."

"I mean, do you think she might have confided in any of them?"

"I don't really know... I don't think it's awfully likely... What sort of confidence do you mean?" confidence do you mean?"

Immediately she wished she hadn't asked that last question, but George's response to it surprised her. George's response to it surprised her.

"Did Rosemary ever say she was afraid of anybody?"

"Afraid?" Iris stared.

"What I'm trying to get at is, did Rosemary have any enemies?"

"Amongst other women?"

"No, no, not that kind of thing. Real enemies. There wasn't anyone - that you knew of - who - who might have had it in for her?" that you knew of - who - who might have had it in for her?"

Iris's frank stare seemed to upset him. He reddened, muttered: "Sounds silly, I know. Melodramatic, but I just wondered."

It was a day or two after that that he started asking about the Farradays. Farradays.

How much had Rosemary seen of the Farradays?

Iris was doubtful.

"I really don't know, George."

"Did she ever talk about them?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Were they intimate at all?"

"Rosemary was very interested in politics."

"Yes. After she met the Farradays in Switzerland. Never cared a b.u.t.ton about politics before that." about politics before that."

"No. I think Stephen Farraday interested her in them. He used to lend her pamphlets and things." her pamphlets and things."

George said: "What did Sandra Farraday think about it?"

"About what?"

"About her husband lending Rosemary pamphlets."

Iris said uncomfortably: "I don't know."

George said, "She's a very reserved woman. Looks cold as ice. But they say she's crazy about Farraday. Sort of woman who might resent they say she's crazy about Farraday. Sort of woman who might resent his having a friends.h.i.+p with another woman." his having a friends.h.i.+p with another woman."

"Perhaps."

"How did Rosemary and Farraday's wife get on?"

Iris said slowly: "I don't think they did. Rosemary laughed at Sandra. Said she was one of those stuffed political women like a rocking horse. Said she was one of those stuffed political women like a rocking horse. (She is rather like a horse, you know.) Rosemary used to say that 'if (She is rather like a horse, you know.) Rosemary used to say that 'if you p.r.i.c.ked her sawdust would ooze out.'" you p.r.i.c.ked her sawdust would ooze out.'"

George grunted. Then he said: "Still seeing a good deal of Anthony Browne?" Browne?"

"A fair amount." Iris's voice was cold, but George did not repeat his warnings. Instead he seemed interested. warnings. Instead he seemed interested.

"Knocked about a good deal, hasn't he? Must have had an interesting life. Does he ever talk to you about it?" life. Does he ever talk to you about it?"

"Not much. He's travelled a lot, of course."

"Business, I suppose."

"I suppose so."

"What is his business?"

"I don't know."

"Something to do with armament firms, isn't it?"

"He's never said."

"Well, needn't mention I asked. I just wondered. He was about a lot last Autumn with Dewsbury, who's chairman of the United Arms Ltd... Autumn with Dewsbury, who's chairman of the United Arms Ltd... Rosemary saw rather a lot of Anthony Browne, didn't she?" Rosemary saw rather a lot of Anthony Browne, didn't she?"

"Yes - yes, she did."

"But she hadn't known him very long - he was more or less of a casual acquaintance? Used to take her dancing, didn't he?" acquaintance? Used to take her dancing, didn't he?"

"Yes."

"I was rather surprised, you know, that she wanted him at her birthday party. Didn't realise she knew him so well." party. Didn't realise she knew him so well."

Iris said quietly: "He dances very well..."

"Yes - yes, of course..."

Without wis.h.i.+ng to, Iris unwillingly let a picture of that evening flit across her mind. The round table at the Luxembourg, the shaded across her mind. The round table at the Luxembourg, the shaded lights, the flowers. The dance band with its insistent rhythm. The seven lights, the flowers. The dance band with its insistent rhythm. The seven people round the table, herself, Anthony Browne, Rosemary, Stephen people round the table, herself, Anthony Browne, Rosemary, Stephen Farraday, Ruth Lessing, George, and on George's right, Stephen Farraday, Ruth Lessing, George, and on George's right, Stephen Farraday's wife, Lady Alexandra Farraday with her pale straight hair Farraday's wife, Lady Alexandra Farraday with her pale straight hair and those slightly arched nostrils and her clear arrogant voice. Such a and those slightly arched nostrils and her clear arrogant voice. Such a gay party it had been, or hadn't it? gay party it had been, or hadn't it?

And in the middle of it, Rosemary - No, no, better not think about that. Better only to remember herself sitting next to Tony - that was the first Better only to remember herself sitting next to Tony - that was the first time she had really met him. time she had really met him.

Before that he had been only a name, a shadow in the hall, a back accompanying Rosemary down the steps in front of the house to a accompanying Rosemary down the steps in front of the house to a waiting taxi. waiting taxi.

Tony - She came back with a start. George was repeating a question.

"Funny he cleared off so soon after. Where did he go, do you know?"

She said vaguely, "Oh, Ceylon, I think, or India."

"Never mentioned it that night."

Iris said sharply: "Why should he? And have we got to talk about - that night?" night?"

His face crimsoned over.

"No, no, of course not. Sorry, old thing. By the way, ask Browne to dinner one night. I'd like to meet him again." dinner one night. I'd like to meet him again."

Iris was delighted. George was coming round. The invitation was duly given and accepted, but at the last minute Anthony had to go North on given and accepted, but at the last minute Anthony had to go North on business and couldn't come. business and couldn't come.

One day at the end of July, George startled both Lucilla and Iris by announcing that he had bought a house in the country. announcing that he had bought a house in the country.

"Bought a house." Iris was incredulous. "But I thought we were going to rent that house at Goring for two months?" to rent that house at Goring for two months?"

"Nicer to have a place of one's own - eh? Can go down for weekends all through the year." all through the year."

"Where is it? On the river?"

"Not exactly. In fact, not at all. Suss.e.x. Marlingham. Little Priors, it's called. Twelve acres - small Georgian house." called. Twelve acres - small Georgian house."

"Do you mean you've bought it without us even seeing it?"

"Rather a chance. Just came into the market. Snapped it up."

Mrs Drake said: "I suppose it will need a lot of doing up and redecorating." redecorating."

George said in an off-hand way: "Oh, that's all right. Ruth has seen to all that." all that."

They received the mention of Ruth Lessing, George's capable secretary, in respectful silence. Ruth was an inst.i.tution - practically secretary, in respectful silence. Ruth was an inst.i.tution - practically one of the family. Good looking in a severe black-and-white kind of one of the family. Good looking in a severe black-and-white kind of way, she was the essence of efficiency combined with tact... way, she was the essence of efficiency combined with tact...

During Rosemary's lifetime, it had been usual for Rosemary to say, "Let's get Ruth to see to it. She's marvellous. Oh, leave it to Ruth."

Every difficulty could always be smoothed out by Miss Lessing's capable fingers. capable fingers.

Smiling, pleasant, aloof, she surmounted all obstacles. She ran George's office and, it was suspected, ran George as well. He was George's office and, it was suspected, ran George as well. He was devoted to her and leaned upon her judgement in every way. She devoted to her and leaned upon her judgement in every way. She seemed to have no needs, no desires of her own. seemed to have no needs, no desires of her own.

Nevertheless on this occasion Lucilla Drake was annoyed.

"My dear George, capable as Ruth is, well, I mean - the women of a family do like to arrange the colour scheme of their own drawing- family do like to arrange the colour scheme of their own drawing- room! Iris should have been consulted. I say nothing about myself. I do room! Iris should have been consulted. I say nothing about myself. I do not count. But it is annoying for Iris." not count. But it is annoying for Iris."

George looked conscience-stricken.

"I wanted it to be a surprise!"

Lucilla had to smile.

"What a boy you are, George."

Iris said: "I don't mind about colour schemes. I'm sure Ruth will have made it perfect. She's so clever. What shall we do down there? There's made it perfect. She's so clever. What shall we do down there? There's a tennis court, I suppose." a tennis court, I suppose."

"Yes, and golf links six miles away, and it's only about fourteen miles to the sea. What's more we shall have neighbours. Always wise to go to a the sea. What's more we shall have neighbours. Always wise to go to a part of the world where you know somebody, I think." part of the world where you know somebody, I think."

"What neighbours?" asked Iris sharply.

George did not meet her eyes.

"The Farradays," he said. "They live about a mile and a half away just across the park." across the park."

Iris stared at him. In a minute she leapt to the conviction that the whole of this elaborate business, the purchasing and equipping of a country of this elaborate business, the purchasing and equipping of a country house, had been undertaken with one object only - to bring George house, had been undertaken with one object only - to bring George into close relations.h.i.+p with Stephen and Sandra Farraday. into close relations.h.i.+p with Stephen and Sandra Farraday.

Near neighbours in the country, with adjoining estates, the two families were bound to be on intimate terms. Either that or a deliberate families were bound to be on intimate terms. Either that or a deliberate coolness! coolness!

But why? Why this persistent harping on the Farradays? Why this costly method of achieving an incomprehensible aim? costly method of achieving an incomprehensible aim?

Did George suspect that Rosemary and Stephen Farraday had been something more than friends? Was this a strange manifestation of something more than friends? Was this a strange manifestation of post-mortem jealousy? Surely that was a thought too far-fetched for post-mortem jealousy? Surely that was a thought too far-fetched for words! words!

But what did George want from the Farradays? What was the point of all the odd questions he was continually shooting at her, Iris? Wasn't all the odd questions he was continually shooting at her, Iris? Wasn't there something very queer about George lately? there something very queer about George lately?

The odd fuddled look he had in the evenings! Lucilla attributed it to a gla.s.s or so too much of port. Lucilla would! gla.s.s or so too much of port. Lucilla would!

No, there was something queer about George lately. He seemed to be labouring under a mixture of excitement interlarded with great s.p.a.ces labouring under a mixture of excitement interlarded with great s.p.a.ces of complete apathy when he sunk in a coma. of complete apathy when he sunk in a coma.

Most of that August they spent in the country at Little Priors. Horrible house! Iris s.h.i.+vered. She hated it. A gracious well-built house, house! Iris s.h.i.+vered. She hated it. A gracious well-built house, harmoniously furnished and decorated (Ruth Lessing was never at harmoniously furnished and decorated (Ruth Lessing was never at fault!). And curiously, frighteningly vacant. They didn't live there. They fault!). And curiously, frighteningly vacant. They didn't live there. They occupied it. As soldiers, in a war, occupied some look-out post. occupied it. As soldiers, in a war, occupied some look-out post.

What made it horrible was the overlay of ordinary normal summer living. People down for weekends, tennis parties, informal dinners with living. People down for weekends, tennis parties, informal dinners with the Farradays. Sandra Farraday had been charming to them - the the Farradays. Sandra Farraday had been charming to them - the perfect manner to neighbours who were already friends. She perfect manner to neighbours who were already friends. She introduced them to the county, advised George and Iris about horses, introduced them to the county, advised George and Iris about horses, was prettily polite and deferential to Lucilla as an older woman. was prettily polite and deferential to Lucilla as an older woman.