Wild fragments of explanation whirled round in her head. Dunne, Experiment with Time — seeing forward instead of back.
She could explain the garden path and the connecting door as coincidence — but there couldn’t be coincidence about this.
You couldn’t conceivably imagine a wallpaper of such a distinctive design and then find one exactly as you had imagined it.
No, there was some explanation that eluded her and that — yes, frightened her. Every now and then she was seeing, not forward, but back — back to some former state of the house. Any moment she might see something more — something she didn’t want to see…. The house frightened her.
… But was it the house or herself’ She didn’t want to be one of those people who saw things.
She drew a long breath, put on her hat and coat and slipped quickly out of the house. At the post office she sent the following telegram: WEST, 19 ADDWAY SQUARE CHELSEA LONDON. MAY I CHANGE MY MIND AND COME TO YOU TOMORROW GWENDA.
She sent it reply paid.
3 COVER HER FACE
Raymond West and his wife did all they could to make young Giles’s wife feel welcome. It was not their fault that Gwenda found them secretly rather alarming. Raymond, with his odd appearance, rather like a pouncing raven, his sweep of hair and his sudden crescendos of quite incomprehensible conversation, left Gwenda round-eyed and nervous.
Both he and Joan seemed to talk a language of their own. Gwenda had never been plunged in a highbrow atmosphere before and practically all its terms were strange.
“We’ve planned to take you to a show or two,” said Raymond whilst Gwenda was drinking gin and rather wishing she could have had a cup of tea after her journey.
Gwenda brightened up immediately.
“The Ballet tonight at Sadler’s Wells, and tomorrow we’ve got a birthday party on for my quite incredible Aunt Jane — the Duchess of Malfi with Gielgud, and on Friday you simply must see They Walked without Feet. Translated from the Russian — absolutely the most significant piece of drama for the last twenty years. It’s at the little Witmore Theatre.” Gwenda expressed herself grateful for these plans for her entertainment. After all, when Giles came home, they would go together to the musical shows and all that.
She flinched slightly at the prospect of They Walked without Feet, but supposed she might enjoy it — only the point about “significant” plays was that you usually didn’t.
“You’ll adore my Aunt Jane,” said Raymond. “She’s what I should describe as a perfect Period Piece. Victorian to the core. All her dressing-tables have their legs swathed in chintz. She lives in a village, the kind of village where nothing ever happens, exactly like a stagnant pond.” “Something did happen there once,” his wife said drily.
“A mere drama of passion — crude — no subtlety to it.” “You enjoyed it frightfully at the time,” Joan reminded him with a slight twinkle.
“I sometimes enjoy playing village cricket,” said Raymond, with dignity.
“Anyway, Aunt Jane distinguished herself over that murder.” “Oh, she’s no fool. She adores problems.” “Problems?” said Gwenda, her mind flying to arithmetic.
Raymond waved a hand.
“Any kind of problem. Why the grocer’s wife took her umbrella to the church social on a fine evening. Why a gill of pickled shrimps was found where it was. What happened to the Vicar’s surplice. All grist to my Aunt Jane’s mill. So if you’ve any problem in your life, put it to her, Gwenda.
She’ll tell you the answer.” He laughed and Gwenda laughed too, but not very heartily. She was introduced to Aunt Jane, otherwise Miss Marple, on the following day. Miss Marple was an attractive old lady, tall and thin, with pink cheeks and blue eyes, and a gentle, rather fussy manner. Her blue eyes often had a little twinkle in them.
After an early dinner at which they drank Aunt Jane’s health, they all went off to His Majesty’s Theatre. Two extra men, an elderly artist and a young barrister were in the party. The elderly artist devoted himself to Gwenda and the young barrister divided his attentions between Joan and Miss Marple whose remarks he seemed to enjoy very much. At the theatre, however, this arrangement was reversed.