蓝色特快上的秘密-蓝色列车之谜-蓝色列车(英文版)-第16章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
ars and refused to budge。〃
〃Anyway；〃 said Lady Tamplin hopefully； 〃she doesn't look to me at all mean。 Some people； when they e into money； seem to attach undue importance to it。〃
〃Oh； you'll easily touch her for what you want；〃 said Lenox； 〃and； after all； that is all that matters； isn't it？ That is what she is here for。〃
〃She is my own cousin；〃 said Lady Tamplin； with dignity。
〃Cousin； eh？〃 said Mr Evans； waking up again。 〃I suppose I call her Katherine； don't I？〃
〃It is of no importance at all what you call her； Chubby；〃 said Lady Tamplin。
〃Good；〃 said Mr Evans； 〃then I will。 Do you suppose she plays tennis？〃 he added hopefully。
〃Of course not；〃 said Lady Tamplin。 〃She has been a panion； I tell you。 panions don't play tennis … or golf。 They might possibly play golf…croquet； but I have always understood that they wind wool and wash dogs most of the day。〃
〃O God！〃 said Mr Evans； 〃do they really？〃
Lenox drifted upstairs again to Katherine's room。 〃Can I help you？〃 she asked rather perfunctorily。
On Katherine's disclaimer； Lenox sat on the edge of the bed and stared thoughtfully at her guest。
〃Why did you e？〃 she said at last。 〃To us； I mean。 We're not your sort。〃
〃Oh； I am anxious to get into Society。〃
〃Don't be an ass；〃 said Lenox promptly detecting the flicker of a smile。 〃You know what I mean well enough。 You are not a bit what I thought you would be。 I say； you have got some decent clothes。〃
She sighed。 〃Clothes are no good to me。 I was born awkward。 It's a pity； because I love them。〃
〃I love them too；〃 said Katherine； 〃but it has not been much use my loving them up to now。 Do you think this is nice？〃
She and Lenox discussed several models with artistic fervour。
〃I like you；〃 said Lenox suddenly。 〃I came up to warn you not to be taken in by Mother； but I think now that there is no need to do that。 You are frightfully sincere and upright and all those queer things； but you are not a fool。 Oh hell！ what is it now？〃
Lady Tamplin's voice was calling plaintively from the hall：
〃Lenox； Derek has just rung up。 He wants to e to dinner tonight。 Will it be all right？ I mean； we haven't got anything awkward； like quails； have we？〃
Lenox reassured her and came back into Katherine's room。 Her face looked brighter and less sullen。
〃I'm glad old Derek is ing；〃 she said； 〃you'll like him。〃
〃Who is Derek？〃
〃He is Lord Leconbury's son； married a rich American woman。 Women are simply potty about him。〃
〃Why？〃
〃Oh； the usual reason … very good…looking and a regular bad lot。 Everyone goes off their head about him。〃
〃Do you？〃
〃Sometimes I do；〃 said Lenox； 〃and sometimes I think I would like to marry a nice curate and live in the country and grow things in frames。〃 She paused a minute； and then added； 〃An Irish curate would be best； and then I should hunt。〃
After a minute or two she reverted to her former theme。 〃There is something queer about Derek。 All that family are a bit potty … mad gamblers； you know。 In the old days they used to gamble away their wives and their estates； and did most reckless things just for the love of it。 Derek would have made a perfect highwayman … debonair and gay； just the right manner。〃 She moved to the door。 〃Well； e down when you like it。〃
Left alone； Katherine gave herself up to thought。 Just at present she felt thoroughly ill at ease and jarred by her surroundings。
The shock of the discovery in the train and the reception of the news by her new friends jarred upon her susceptibilities。 She thought long and earnestly about the murdered woman。 She had been sorry for Ruth； but she could not honestly say that she had liked her。 She had divined only too well the ruthless egoism that was the keynote of her personality； and it repelled her。
She had been amused and a trifle hurt by the other's cool dismissal of her when she had served her turn。 That she had e to some decision； Katherine was quite certain； but she wondered now what that decision had been。 Whatever it was； death had stepped in and made all decisions meaningless。
Strange that it should have been so； and that a brutal crime should have been the ending of that fateful journey。 But suddenly Katherine remembered a small fact that she ought； perhaps； to have told the police … a fact that had for the moment escaped her memory。 Was it of any real importance？ She had certainly thought that she had seen a man going into that particular partment？ But she realized that she might easily have been mistaken。 It might have been the partment next door； and certainly the man in question could be no train robber。 She recalled him very clearly as she had seen him on those two previous occasions … once at the Savoy and once at Cook's office。 No； doubtless she had been mistaken。 He had not gone into the dead woman's partment； and it was perhaps as well that she had said nothing to the police。 She might have done incalculable harm by doing so。
She went down to join the others on the terrace outside。 Through the branches of mimosa； she looked out over the blue of the Mediterranean； and； whilst listening with half an ear to Lady Tamplin's chatter； she was glad that she had e。 This was better than St Mary Mead。
That evening she put on the mauvy pink dress that went by the name of soupir d'automne； and after smiling at her reflection in the mirror； went downstairs with； for the first time in her life； a faint feeling of shyness。
Most of Lady Tamplin's guests had arrived； and since noise was the essential of Lady Tamplin's parties； the din was already critic。 Chubby rushed up to Katherine； passed a cocktail upon her； and took her under his wing。
〃Oh； here you are； Derek；〃 cried Lady Tamplin； as the door opened to admit the last er。 〃Now at last we can have something to eat。 I am starving。〃
Katherine looked across the room。 She was startled。 So this … was Derek； and she realized that she was not surprised。 She had always known that she would some day meet the man whom she had seen three times by such a curious chain of coincidences。 She thought； too； that he recognized her。 He paused abruptly in what he was saying to Lady Tamplin； and went on again as though with an effort。 They all went in to dinner； and Katherine found that he was placed beside her。 He turned to her at once with a vivid smile。
〃I knew I was going to meet you soon；〃 he remarked； 〃but I never dreamt that it would be here。 It had to be； you know。 Once at the Savoy and once at Cook's … never twice without three times。 Don't say you can't remember me or never noticed me。 I insist upon your pretending that you noticed me； anyway。〃
〃Oh； I did；〃 said Katherine； 〃but this is not the third time。 It is the fourth。 I saw you on the Blue Train。〃
〃On the Blue Train！〃 Something undefinable came over his manner； she could not have said just what it was。 It was as though he had received a check； a setback。 Then he said carelessly：
〃What was the rumpus this morning？ Somebody had died； hadn't they？〃
〃Yes；〃 said Katherine slowly； 〃somebody had died。〃
〃You shouldn't die on a train；〃 remarked Derek flippantly。 〃I believe it causes all sorts of legal and international plications； and it gives the train an excuse for being even later than usual。〃
〃Mr Kettering？〃 A stout American lady； who was sitting opposite； leaned forward and spoke to him with the deliberate intonation of her race。 〃Mr Kettering； I do believe you have forgotten me； and I thought you such a perfectly lovely man。〃
Derek leaned forward； answering her； and Katherine sat almost dazed。
Kettering！ That was the name； of course！ … she remembered it now … but what a strange； ironical situation！ Here was this man whom she had seen go into his wife's apartment last night； who had left her safe and well； and now he was sitting there； quite unconscious of the fate that had befallen her。 Of that there was no doubt。 He did not know。
A servant was leaning over Derek； handing him a note and murmuring in his ear。
With a word of excuse to Lady Tamplin； he broke it open； and an expression of utter astonishment came over his face as he read； then he looked at his hostess。
〃This is most extraordinary。 I say； Rosalie； I am afraid I will have to leave you。 The Prefect of Police wants to see me at once。 I can't think what about。〃
〃Your sins have found you out；〃 remarked Lenox。
〃They must have；〃 said Derek； 〃probably some idiotic nonsense； but I suppose I shall have to push off to the Prefecture。 How dare the old boy rout me out from dinner？ It ought to be something deadly serious to justify that；〃 and he laughed as he pushed back his chair and rose to leave the room。
Chapter 13
VAN ALDIN GETS A TELEGRAM
On the afternoon of the 15th February a thick yellow fog had settled down on London。
Rufus Van Aldin was in his suite at the Savoy and was making the most of the atmospheric conditions by working double time。 Knighton was overjoyed。 He had found it difficult of late to get his employer to concentrate on the matters in hand。 When he had ventured to urge certain courses； Van Aldin had put him off with a curt word。 But now Van Aldin seemed to be throwing himself into work with redoubled energy； a
