Murder in House Read Free

almost fell off his chair. A gust of wind hit the window and made it rattle.
    Ellie’s teeth chattered. ‘That’s enough. Thomas, you’ll catch your death if we stay here much longer. We’ve got lunch waiting for us back home, and I’m taking both of you home with me, right now. After we’ve eaten, Miss-whatever-your-name is, we can discuss your problem and, if you still want to, we’ll bring you back here to finish off your vigil in peace and quiet.’
    â€˜Sorry!’ muttered Thomas, into his handkerchief. ‘Thought my cold was clearing up, but it seems to be getting worse.’
    â€˜Pleurisy, pneumonia, I’m not risking it,’ said Ellie, bending down to pack the girl’s stuff away into her bag. ‘Put your coat on, girl. It’s murder outside.’
    â€˜It was murder, anyway,’ said the girl. ‘He was murdered.’
    â€˜Was he, now?’ said Ellie, startled. ‘Well, you’ll have two more deaths on your hands if we don’t clear out of here and get warm. So let’s get back to civilization.’
    The girl didn’t move until Thomas switched off the electric fire.
    â€˜My name’s Ursula. That’s all you need to know.’ After two helpings of everything, the girl was relaxed enough to give her name, but no more.
    â€˜Coffee? Tea?’
    She shook her head. ‘Thank you for lunch. Shall I help you stack the dishwasher? Then I’d best be getting back to the church.’
    Thomas grumbled. ‘You led me to believe you’d talk to Ellie, if I got her along to the church.’
    Ellie sent Thomas a wifely look, question and reproach nicely blended.
    The girl looked at Ellie with a dozen doubts showing. ‘That was before I’d met her. I’m sure she’s a very good cook and means well, but . . . well, this is not exactly the usual sort of parish problem. It was nice of you both to give me lunch, and I must say I feel better for it, but it isn’t helping me get through this. I’ll phone for a cab. If you’ll let me borrow the key to the church, I’ll pop it back to you first thing tomorrow.’
    Thomas gave a giant sigh, and blew his nose. ‘You know very well I can’t let that key out of my possession and I really don’t want to go out again, with this cold on me, but — ’
    â€˜Certainly not,’ said Ellie. ‘You’ll catch your death. Ursula, I understand that you’ve decided to perform some sort of penance. Only you know if that’s sensible or not, but it is not sensible to put other people at risk of catching pneumonia, is it? Is it right for you to take Thomas out into this dreadful weather when he’s so unwell?’
    The girl thrust out her lower lip. ‘You’re twisting everything. You dragged me here. I didn’t ask to come.’ She was stubborn, but retained her good manners. She’d been well brought up.
    Ellie reflected that you could sometimes press the buttons on a well-brought-up girl by asking her to help you. ‘Well, before you go, could you just help me get Rose up the stairs to her bedroom? She was my aunt’s housekeeper – more of a friend, really – who stayed on to look after Thomas and me after my aunt died. She used to be such a bustling little person, but she’s not well at the moment and I’m not sure I can get her upstairs by myself. Thomas would help me, but she really doesn’t want a man doing things for her.’
    Thomas gave her a Look, but heroically refrained from challenging the lie, and began to stack dishes.
    The girl stiffened. ‘She doesn’t want men around her? Well, I suppose I can understand that. Of course I’ll help if I can. But then I must go.’
    Ellie led the girl into Rose’s sitting room next door. Rose had fallen asleep in her big chair again, her plate of food almost untouched. Ellie suffered a jolt of anxiety,