The Incident at Fives Castle (An Angela Marchmont Mystery #5) Read Free Page B

she’s taken it into her head to study science, and who knows, she might even make a decent fist of it. She’s got brains, all right. Then there are two younger boys, Gus and Bobby, neither of whom is old enough to be of any interest to us. The American Ambassador, though,’ he said thoughtfully. ‘Yes, Gertie mentioned him. That’s rather interesting, now I come to think of it.’
    ‘Why?’ said Angela, and repeated her question when he did not reply.
    ‘Because I have the feeling that something is afoot, Watson,’ he said.
    ‘Really?’ said Angela. ‘Of what nature, exactly?’
    ‘Oh, political, naturally. You know Sandy Buchanan is going to be there, don’t you?’
    ‘Yes, but why is that important? Surely Foreign Secretaries are allowed to visit their friends at New Year just like everybody else?’
    ‘Of course they are, but why should he be going there at the same time as the American Ambassador? Are they going to discuss important matters of state?’
    ‘Perhaps you ought to ask him,’ said Angela. ‘I don’t see anything particularly suspicious in it myself. Great men tend to spend time with other great men. Did Gladstone and Disraeli have tea together, I wonder? I shouldn’t be a bit surprised if they did.’
    ‘They loathed each other, by all accounts.’
    ‘Did they? Well then, I expect they glared at each other over sherry and made pointed remarks. Anyway, even if they are going to talk about matters of state, why should that interest us? It will probably just be negotiations about the order of precedence at official banquets or something—deadly serious to them and awfully dull to the rest of us.’
    ‘You’re probably right,’ said Freddy. ‘Perhaps I have spent too much time lately cultivating my natural suspicion.’
    ‘I think you have. But even a reporter must take a few days off now and again, you know.’
    ‘I suppose so,’ said Freddy. ‘Very well, I’m glad you’re coming, at any rate. I shall be setting off soon myself, so I dare say I’ll see you this evening at dinner.’
    He saluted her and rang off. Angela put on her hat, summoned her maid, Marthe, and prepared to leave.
    ‘Are we all set, William?’ she asked, when they arrived downstairs to where her chauffeur was waiting with the Bentley.
    ‘Yes, ma’am,’ the young man replied cheerfully. He held the door open for her, and then he and Marthe got into the front seats and they set off for the North.
    For the first few miles, Angela sat in silence while William and Marthe conversed politely in the front. Angela was glad of that, as the two had a somewhat prickly relationship in general. William would have been glad to be friends, but Marthe considered herself to be a cut above him and tended to be frosty. Today, at any rate, they seemed to be getting on.
    The Bentley ate up the miles and by mid-afternoon, sooner than Angela would have thought possible, they were crossing the border into Scotland. There was still some way to go yet, for Fives Castle was in the southern part of the Cairngorms, many miles to the North of Edinburgh. As they left that city behind them, Angela noticed that the air grew colder and fresher, and she thought she could detect the scent of pine needles. The sky had gone a flat, dingy grey, and there was a closeness to the atmosphere, despite the cold.
    ‘I do believe it is going to snow,’ she remarked. ‘I hope you have both brought plenty of thick clothes with you. I don’t know how warm these Scottish castles are.’
    William’s expression said that he was not afraid of a bit of snow, while Marthe shivered and pulled her coat more closely around her.
    ‘Yes, madame ,’ she said. ‘I have heard that Scotland is as cold as the North Pole, and so I made sure to pack my warmest things. And yours too.’
    ‘Oh, good,’ said Angela, and fell silent again, wondering, not for the first time, whether it had been a good idea to accept Gertie McAloon’s invitation. Angela had, almost