Sleeping Murder – Agatha Christie
It was a grey day with rain imminent and a sharp irritating wind blowing. Plymouth, Gwenda thought, as she moved forward obediently in the queue for Passports and Customs, was probably not the best of England.
On the following morning, however, her feelings were entirely different. The sun was shining. The view from her window was attractive. And the universe in general was no longer waving and wobbling. It had steadied down. This was England at last and here she was, Gwenda Reed, young married woman of twenty-one, on her travels. Giles’s return to England was uncertain.
He might follow her in a few weeks. It might be as long as six months.
His suggestion had been that Gwenda should precede him to England and should look about for a suitable house. They both thought it would be nice to have, somewhere, a permanency. Giles’s job would always entail a certain amount of travelling.
Sometimes Gwenda would come too, sometimes the conditions would not be suitable.
But they both liked the idea of having a home — some place of their very own.
Giles had inherited some furniture from an aunt recently, so that everything combined to make the idea a sensible and practical one.
Since both Gwenda and Giles were reasonably well off the prospect presented no difficulties.
Gwenda had demurred at first at choosing a house on her own. “We ought to do it together,” she had said. But Giles had said laughingly: “I’m not much of a hand at houses. If you like it, I shall. A bit of a garden, of course, and not some brand-new horror — and not too big. Somewhere on the south coast was my idea. At any rate, not too far inland.” “Was there any particular place?” Gwenda asked. But Giles said No. He’d been left an orphan young (they were both orphans) and had been passed around to various relations for holidays, and no particular spot had any particular association for him. It was to be Gwenda’s house — and as for waiting until they could choose it together, suppose he were held up for six months? What would Gwenda do with herself all that time? Hang about in hotels? No, she was to find a house and get settled in.
“What you mean is,39 said Gwenda, “do all the work!” But she liked the idea of finding a home and having it all ready, cosy and lived in, for when Giles came back.
They had been married just three months and she loved him very much.
After sending for breakfast in bed, Gwenda got up and arranged her plans.
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