‘I’ve always wondered. I thought you were all so clever one of you would be able to tell me.’
Everybody harboured feelings of annoyance. It was all very well for Jane to be so beautiful—but at this moment everyone felt that stupidity could be carried too far. Even the most transcendent loveliness could not excuse it.
‘You mean the truth was never discovered?’ said Sir Henry.
‘No. That’s why, as I say, I did think you would be able to tell me.’
Jane sounded injured. It was plain that she felt she had a grievance.
‘Well—I’m—I’m—’ said Colonel Bantry, words failing him.
‘You are the most aggravating girl, Jane,’ said his wife. ‘Anyway, I’m sure and always will be that I was right. If you just tell us the proper names of the people, I shall be quite sure.’
‘I don’t think I could do that,’ said Jane slowly.
‘No, dear,’ said Miss Marple. ‘Miss Helier couldn’t do that.’
‘Of course she could,’ said Mrs Bantry. ‘Don’t be so high-minded, Jane. We older folk must have a bit of scandal. At any rate tell us who the city magnate was.’
But Jane shook her head, and Miss Marple, in her old-fashioned way, continued to support the girl.
‘It must have been a very distressing business,’ she said.
‘No,’ said Jane truthfully. ‘I think—I think I rather enjoyed it.’
‘Well, perhaps you did,’ said Miss Marple. ‘I suppose it was a break in the monotony. What play were you acting in?’
‘Smith.’
‘Oh, yes. That’s one of Mr Somerset Maugham’s, isn’t it? All his are very clever, I think. I’ve seen them nearly all.’
‘You’re reviving it to go on tour next autumn, aren’t you?’ asked Mrs Bantry.
Jane nodded.
‘Well,’ said Miss Marple rising. ‘I must go home. Such late hours! But we’ve had a very entertaining evening. Most unusually so. I think Miss Helier’s story wins the prize. Don’t you agree?’
‘I’m sorry you’re angry with me,’ said Jane. ‘About not knowing the end, I mean. I suppose I should have said so sooner.’
Her tone sounded wistful. Dr Lloyd rose gallantly to the occasion.
‘My dear young lady, why should you? You gave us a very pretty problem to sharpen our wits on. I am only sorry we could none of us solve it convincingly.’
‘Speak for yourself,’ said Mrs Bantry. ‘I did solve it. I’m convinced I am right.’
‘Do you know, I really believe you are,’ said Jane. ‘What you said sounded so probable.’
‘Which of her seven solutions do you refer to?’ asked Sir Henry teasingly.
Dr Lloyd gallantly assisted Miss Marple to put on her goloshes. ‘Just in case,’ as the old lady explained. The doctor was to be her escort to her old-world cottage. Wrapped in several woollen shawls, Miss Marple wished everyone good night once more. She came to Jane Helier last and leaning forward, she murmured something in the actress’s ear. A startled ‘Oh!’ burst from Jane—so loud as to cause the others to turn their heads.
Smiling and nodding, Miss Marple made her exit, Jane Helier staring after her.
‘Are you coming to bed, Jane?’ asked Mrs Bantry. ‘What’s the matter with you? You’re staring as though you’d seen a ghost.’
With a deep sigh Jane came to herself, shed a beautiful and bewildering smile on the two men and followed her hostess up the staircase. Mrs Bantry came into the girl’s room with her.
‘Your fire’s nearly out,’ said Mrs Bantry, giving it a vicious and ineffectual poke. ‘They can’t have made it up properly. How stupid housemaids are. Still, I suppose we are rather late tonight. Why, it’s actually past one o’clock!’
‘Do you think there are many people like her?’ asked Jane Helier.
She was sitting on the side of the bed apparently wrapped in thought.
‘Like the housemaid?’
‘No. Like that funny old woman—what’s her name—Marple?’
‘Oh! I don’t know. I suppose she’s a fairly common type in a small village.’
‘Oh dear,’ said Jane. ‘I don’t know what to do.’
She sighed deeply.
‘What’s the matter?’
‘I’m worried.’
‘What about?’
‘Dolly,’ Jane Helier was portentously solemn. ‘Do you know what that queer old lady whispered to me before she went out of the door tonight?’
‘No. What?’
‘She said: “I shouldn’t do it if I were you, my dear. Never put yourself too much in another woman’s power, even if you do think she’s your friend at the moment.” You know, Dolly, that’
s awfully true.’
‘The maxim? Yes, perhaps it is. But I don’t see the application.’
‘I suppose you can’t ever really trust a woman. And I should be in her power. I never thought of that.’
‘What woman are you talking about?’
‘Netta Greene, my understudy.’
‘What on earth does Miss Marple know about your understudy?’
‘I suppose she guessed—but I can’t see how.’
‘Jane, will you kindly tell me at once what you are talking about?’
‘The story. The one I told. Oh, Dolly, that woman, you know—the one that took Claud from me?’
Mrs Bantry nodded, casting her mind back rapidly to the first of Jane’s unfortunate marriages—to Claud Averbury, the actor.
‘He married her; and I could have told him how it would be. Claud doesn’t know, but she’s carrying on with Sir Joseph Salmon—week-ends with him at the bungalow I told you about. I wanted her shown up—I would like everyone to know the sort of woman she was. And you see, with a burglary, everything would be bound to come out.’
‘Jane!’ gasped Mrs Bantry. ‘Did you engineer this story you’ve been telling us?’
Jane nodded.
‘That’s why I chose Smith. I wear parlourmaid’s kit in it, you know. So I should have it handy. And when they sent for me to the police station it’s the easiest thing in the world to say I was rehearsing my part with my understudy at the hotel. Really, of course, we would be at the bungalow. I just have to open the door and bring in the cocktails, and Netta to pretend to be me. He’d never see her again, of course, so there would be no fear of his recognizing her. And I can make myself look quite different as a parlourmaid; and besides, one doesn’t look at parlourmaids as though they were people. We planned to drag him out into the road afterwards, bag the jewel case, telephone the police and get back to the hotel. I shouldn’t like the poor young man to suffer, but Sir Henry didn’t seem to think he would, did he? And she’d be in the papers and everything—and Claud would see what she was really like.’
Mrs Bantry sat down and groaned.