Postern of Fate (Tommy & Tuppence 5)

'I'm sure you can,' said Tommy. 'Only good thing about you, Tuppence, is that at least you have a kindly heart. You wouldn't put them into execution just for fun.'

'But there wasn't any Mary Jordan in the cemetery. There weren't any Jordans.'

'Disappointing for you,' said Tommy. 'Is that thing you're cooking ready yet, because I'm pretty hungry. It smells rather good.'

'It's absolutely done to a point,' said Tuppence. 'So, as soon as you've washed, we eat.'

Chapter 4

LOTS OF PARKINSONS

'Lots of Parkinsons,' said Tuppence as they ate. 'A long way back but an amazing lot of them. Old ones, young ones and married ones. Bursting with Parkinsons. And Capes, and Griffins and Underwoods and Overwoods. Curious to have both of them, isn't it?'

'I had a friend called George Underwood,' said Tommy.

'Yes, I've known Underwoods, too. But not Overwoods.'

'Male or female?' said Thomas, with slight interest.

'A girl, I think it was. Rose Overwood.'

'Rose Overwood,' said Tommy, listening to the sound of it. 'I don't think somehow it goes awfully well together.' He added, 'I must ring up those electricians after lunch. Be very careful, Tuppence, or you'll put your foot through the landing upstairs.'

'Then I shall be a natural death, or an unnatural death, one of the two.'

'A curiosity death,' said Tommy. 'Curiosity killed the cat.'

'Aren't you at all curious?' asked Tuppence.

'I can't see any earthly reason for being curious. What have we got for pudding?'

'Treacle tart.'

'Well, I must say, Tuppence, it was a delicious meal.'

'I'm very glad you liked it,' said Tuppence.

'What is that parcel outside the back door? Is it that wine we ordered?'

'No,' said Tuppence, 'it's bulbs.'

'Oh,' said Tommy, 'bulbs.'

'Tulips,' said Tuppence. 'I'll go and talk to old Isaac about them.'

'Where are you going to put them?'

'I think along the centre path in the garden.'

'Poor old fellow, he looks as if he might drop dead any minute,' said Tommy.

'Not at all,' said Tuppence. 'He's enormously tough, is Isaac. I've discovered, you know, that gardeners are like that. If they're very good gardeners they seem to come to their prime when they're over eighty, but if you get a strong, hefty-looking young man about thirty-five who says, "I've always wanted to work in a garden," you may be quite sure that he's probably no good at all. They're just prepared to brush up a few leaves now and again and anything you want them to do they always say it's the wrong time of year, and as one never knows oneself when the right time of year is, at least I don't, well then, you see, they always get the better of you. But Isaac's wonderful. He knows about everything.' Tuppence added, 'There ought to be some crocuses as well. I wonder if they're in the parcel, too. Well, I'll go out and see. It's his day for coming and he'll tell me all about it.'

'All right,' said Tommy, 'I'll come out and join you presently.'

Tuppence and Isaac had a pleasant reunion. The bulbs were unpacked, discussions were held as to where things would show to best advantage. First the early tulips, which were expected to rejoice the heart at the end of February, then a consideration of the handsome fringed parrot tulips, and some tulips called, as far as Tuppence could make out, viridiflora, which would be exceptionally beautiful with long stems in the month of May and early June. As these were of an interesting green pastel colour, they agreed to plant them as a collection in a quiet part of the garden where they could be picked and arranged in interesting floral arrangements in the drawing-room, or by the short approach to the house through the front gate where they would arouse envy and jealousy among callers. They must even rejoice the artistic feelings of tradesmen delivering joints of meat and crates of grocery.

At four o'clock Tuppence produced a brown teapot full of good strong tea in the kitchen, placed a sugar basin full of lumps of sugar and a milk jug by it, and called Isaac in to refresh himself before departing. She went in search of Tommy.

I suppose he's asleep somewhere, thought Tuppence to herself as she looked from one room into another. She was glad to see a head sticking up on the landing out of the sinister pit in the floor.

'It's all right now, ma'am,' said an electrician, 'no need to be careful any more. It's all fixed.' He added that he was starting work on a different portion of the house on the following morning.

'I do hope,' said Tuppence, 'that you will really come.' She added, 'Have you seen Mr Beresford anywhere?'

'Aye, your husband, you mean? Yes, he's up on an upper floor, I think. Dropping things, he was. Yes, rather heavy things, too. Must have been some books, I think.'

'Books!' said Tuppence. 'Well I never!'

The electrician retreated down into his own personal underworld in the passage and Tuppence went up to the attic converted to the extra book library at present devoted to children's books.

Tommy was sitting on the top of a pair of steps. Several books were around him on the floor and there were noticeable gaps in the shelves.

'So there you are,' said Tuppence, 'after pretending you weren't interested or anything. You've been looking at lots of books, haven't you? You've disarranged a lot of the things that I put away so neatly.'

'Well, I'm sorry about that,' said Tommy, 'but, well I thought I'd perhaps just have a look round.'

'Did you find any other books that have got any underlined things in them in red ink?'

'No. Nothing else.'

'How annoying,' said Tuppence.

'I think it must have been Alexander's work, Master Alexander Parkinson,' said Tommy.

'That's right,' said Tuppence. 'One of the Parkinsons, the numerous Parkinsons.'

'Well, I think he must have been rather a lazy boy, although of course, it must have been rather a bother doing that underlining and all. But there's no more information re Jordan,' said Tommy.

'I asked old Isaac. He knows a lot of people round here. He says he doesn't remember any Jordans.'

'What are you doing with that brass lamp you've put by the front door?' asked Tommy, as he came downstairs.

'I'm taking it to the White Elephant Sale,' said Tuppence.

'Why?'

'Oh, because it's always been a thorough nuisance. We bought it somewhere abroad, didn't we?'

'Yes, I think we must have been mad. You never liked it. You said you hated it. Well, I agree. And it's awfully heavy too, very heavy.'

'But Miss Sanderson was terribly pleased when I said that they could have it. She offered to fetch it but I said I'd run it down to them in the car. It's today we take the thing.'

'I'll run down with it if you like.'

'No, I'd rather like to go.'

'All right,' said Tommy. 'Perhaps I'd better come with you and just carry it in for you.'

'Oh, I think I'll find someone who'll carry it in for me,' said Tuppence.

'Well, you might or you might not. Don't go and strain yourself.'

'All right,' said Tuppence.

'You've got some other reason for wanting to go, haven't you?'

'Well, I just thought I'd like to chat a bit with people,' said Tuppence.