Fear came then – the same sharp fear of which she had the first indication in Sunny Ridge ‘Is it your poor child?’ That had been the first warning – but she had misunderstood it – she had not known it was a warning.
Her eyes watched the approaching steel but strangely enough it was not the gleaming metal and its menace that frightened her into a state of paralysis; it was the face above it – it was the smiling benignant face of Mrs Lancaster – smiling happily, contentedly – a woman pursuing her appointed task, with gentle reasonableness.
‘She doesn’t look mad,’ thought Tuppence – ‘That’s what’s so awful – Of course she doesn’t because in herown mind she’s sane. She’s a perfectly normal, reasonable human being – that’s what she thinks – Oh Tommy, Tommy, what have I got myself into this time?’ Dizziness and limpness submerged her. Her muscles relaxed – somewhere there was a great crash of broken glass. It swept her away, into darkness and unconsciousness.
‘That’s. better – you’re coming round – drink this, Mrs Beresford.’ A glass pressed against her lips – she resisted fiercely 218
Poisoned milk – who had said that once – something about ‘poisoned milk’? She woulctta’t drink poisoned milk… No, not milk – quite a different smell She relaxed, her lips ope,aed – she sipped ‘Brandy,’ said Tuppence with recognition.
‘Quite right] Go on dr]rig – drink some more ~’ Tuppence sipped again. She leaned back against cushions, surveyed her surroundings. The top of a ladder showed through the window. In front of the window there was a mass of broken glass on the floor.
‘I heard the glass break.’ She pushed away the brady glass and her eyes followed up the hand and arm to the face of the man who had been holding it.
‘El Greco,’ said Tuppence.
‘I beg your pardon.’ ‘It doesn’t matter.’ She looked round the room.
‘Where is she – Mrs Lacaster, I mean?’ ‘She’s – resting – in the next room ” ‘I see.’ But she wasn’t sate that she did see. She would see better presently. Just now only one idea would come at a time ‘Sir Philip Starke.’ She d it slowly and doubtfully. ‘That’s right?’ ‘Yes – Why did you say 11 Greco?’ ‘Suffering.’ ‘I beg your pardon.’ ‘The picture – In Toledo – Or in the lPrado – I thought so a long time ago – no, not very long ago -‘ She thought about it made a discovery – ‘Last ight. A party – At the vicarage -‘ ‘You’re doing t’me,’ he d encouragiingly.
It seemed very natural, mehow, to the sitting here, in this room with broken glass on e floor, talking to this man – with the dark agonized face ‘I made a mistake – at saany Ridge. ii was all wrong about her ~ I was afraid, then – – wave of fear – But I got it wrong – I wasn’t afraid of her -1 was afraidt for her – I thought something was going to happen to her – I wanted to protect her – to save her – I -‘ She looked doubtfully at him. ‘Do you understand? Or does it so.d silly?’ ‘Nobody understands better than I do – nobody in this world.’ Tuppence stared at him – frowning, ‘Who – who was she? I mean Mrs Lancaster – Mrs Yorke -that’s not real – that’s just taken from a rose tree – who was she – herself?.’ Philip Starke said harshly: ‘V/ho was she? Herself? The real one, the true one Who was’she – with God’s Sign upon her brozo?’ ‘Did you ever read Peer Gym, Mrs Beresford?’ He went to the window. He stood there a moment, looking out – Then he turned abruptly.
‘She was my wife, Gold help me.’ ‘Your wife – But she died – the tablet in the church ‘ ‘She died abroad – that was the story I circulated – And I put up a tablet to her memory in the church. People don’t like to ask too many questions of a bereaved widower. I didn’t go on living here.’ ‘Some people said she had left you.’ ‘That made an acceptable story, too.’ ‘You took her away when you found out – about the children ‘ ‘So you know about the children?’ ‘She told me – It seemed – unbelievable.’ ‘Most of the time she was quite normal – no one would have guessed. But the police were beginning tosuspect – I had to act – I had to save her – to protect her – You understand – can you understand – in the very least?’ ‘Yes,’ said Tuppence, ‘I can understand quite well.’ ‘She was – so lovely once -‘ His voice broke a little. ‘You see her – there,’ he pointed to the painting on the wall. ‘Waterlily – She was a wild girl – always. Her mother was the last of the Warrenders – an old family – inbred – Helen Warrender – ran away from home. She took up with a bad lot – a gaolbird – her daughter went on the stage – she trained as a dancer – Waterlily was her most popular role – then she took up with a criminal gang – for excitement – purely to get a kick out of it – She was always being disappointed ‘When she married me, she had finished with all that – she wanted to settle down – to live quietly – a family life – with children. I was rich – I could give her all the things she wanted.