Sad cypress – Agatha Christie
Roddy said, “Hallo, darling. You’re looking very tragic. Is it a bill?” Elinor shook her head.
Roddy said, I thought it might be – midsummer, you know – when the fairies dance, and the accounts rendered come tripping along!” Elinor said, “It’s rather horrid. It’s an anonymous letter.” Roddy’s brows went up. His keen, fastidious face stiffened and changed. He said – a sharp, disgusted exclamation, “No!” Elinor said again, “It’s rather horrid….” She moved a step toward her desk. “I’d better tear it up, I suppose.”
She could have done that – she almost did – for Roddy and anonymous letters were two things that ought not to come together. She might have thrown it away and thought no more about it. He would not have stopped her. His fastidiousness was far more strongly developed than his curiosity.
But on an impulse Elinor decided differently. She said, “Perhaps, though, you’d better read it first. Then we’ll burn it. It’s about Aunt Laura.” Roddy’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Aunt Laura?” He took the letter, read it, gave a frown of distaste, and handed it back.
“Yes,” he said. “Definitely to be burned! How extraordinary people are!” Elinor said, “One of the servants, do you think?” 4
“I suppose so.” He hesitated. “I wonder who – who the person is – the one they mention?”
Elinor said thoughtfully, “It must be Mary Gerrard, I think.” Roddy frowned in an effort of remembrance.
“Mary Gerrard? Who is she?”
“The daughter of the people at the lodge. You must remember her as a child? Aunt Laura was always fond of the girl, and took an interest in her. She paid for her schooling and for various extras – piano lessons and French and things.”
Roddy said, “Oh, yes, I remember her now; scrawny kid, all legs and arms, with a lot of messy fair hair.”
Elinor nodded. “Yes, you probably haven’t seen her since those summer holidays when Mum and Dad were abroad. You’ve not been down at Hunterbury as often as I have, of course, and she’s been abroad au pair in Germany lately, but we used to rout her out and play with her when we were all kids.”
“What’s she like now?” asked Roddy.
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