“Jackdaws,” he said in disgust. “And I took a nest out of this chimney only last year.”
“You must be a townee,” said the policeman. Melissa sank down on the edge of the bed. “It’s dreadful,” she said. “Are you sure it’s only jackdaws?”
“Yes,” said the policeman. “Right nasty noise they make.”
“I’m sorry to have troubled you, but I was so frightened. You see, someone tried the handle of my door last night.”
“What time was this?” asked the policeman.
“About two o’clock this morning.”
“You should have rung the bell then,” he said severely.
Melissa put a hand up to her head. “I was so frightened, I couldn’t move. The only reason I found courage to ring that bell this morning was because it was daylight.”
Paul Sinclair appeared in the doorway. “What’s going on, Melissa?”
Melissa told him about the turning doorknob and the jackdaws.
Paul blushed. “Actually, I tried your door last night. I wanted to talk to you.”
“At two in the morning?” asked the policeman suspiciously.
“I couldn’t sleep,” said Paul defiantly, “and we
Enrico straightened up from the fireplace. “I can prepare you an early breakfast if you would like.”
“Oh, that would be nice,” said Melissa, feeling a little surge of power, despite her recent distress, at being able to give orders to a servant. “Some scrambled eggs and coffee, Enrico, and what would you like, darling?”
“Just toast and coffee,” said Paul. “I’ll see you downstairs, Melissa. Won’t be long.”
After they had all gone, Melissa began to wash and dress. They would have servants, she thought. Perhaps a couple to live in. Not British. A couple of foreigners. Of course, only the terribly rich could afford servants, but Paul would be very rich if he did not give all that money away to his mother. Melissa’s soft lips moulded themselves into a hard line. Why should he? Why should Jan have everything? They could have a flat in town and perhaps a nice old farmhouse in the country. That
The dream began to splinter. Mum and Dad would need to wear nice clothes and be very, very quiet so that no one could hear their accents. And smelly old Auntie Vera was definitely not coming. Hairbrush poised above her head, Melissa thought, why get married in church at all? Simple service in a registry office, brief visit home to Mum. Surprise, surprise. Got married. Isn’t it fun? So no embarrassment of working-class parents and relatives at the wedding. Yes, that was the way to do it. Now to get Paul to keep that money. Why should both of us work? If he loved her, he would surely rather please her than his mother. Give the old trout something, but not all.
Dreams of wealth were so rosy that they kept the fear engendered by the murders at bay and so the more highly coloured they became in Melissa’s mind.
She went down the stairs determined to start work on Paul right away.
¦
Jeffrey Trent wandered into his nieces’ bedroom later that morning. “What a storm last night!” he said. “I could hardly sleep.”
Betty was sitting at the dressing-table unrolling old–fashioned steel curlers from her head. Angela was sitting up in bed, reading
“I slept through it all,” said Betty to Jeffrey’s reflection in the mirror. “Are you still set on leaving Jan?” she went on. “I mean, it does seem rather odd in someone of your age.”
“Meaning I shall shortly die an unhappy man anyway? No, Betty, I plan to enjoy myself.”
Angela put down the paper. “I’ve often wondered why you married Jan in the first place. I liked your first wife, Pauline. Very sweet.”
“She was all right,” said Jeffrey, “but a bit frigid, if you must know. That was the attraction about Jan. She hooked me into bed half an hour after she had first met me.”
“Jeffrey!” Betty looked at him in distress.
“Well, it’s the truth. Manipulating bitch that she was. Oh, it was a successful marriage right up until the money began to dry up. Now I’m going to get my revenge. It’s a pity I can’t talk Paul out of giving her any money.”
“Talking about money,” said Angela, “I do think it’s awful that Charles hasn’t got anything.”
“I suppose we could give him some,” said Betty. “What do you think, Jeffrey? I mean, we’re going to have millions each, aren’t we?”
“Yes, even after death duties. I think I’ll give him something myself…and tell Jan.”
Angela looked uncomfortable. “You mustn’t be so spiteful. After all, you’re getting your freedom. Leave the woman alone. Why so bitter?”
“You haven’t been married,” said Jeffrey, “so you don’t know what it’s like to be sucked dry of money. That parasite deserves every pain I can give her.”
¦
“Jeffrey is being quite horrible,” said Jan to her son. “He seems determined to ruin me.” Paul pushed at the frame of his glasses with a nervous finger and looked owlishly at his mother. “You’d best get a divorce, and quickly,” he said, “and then you’ll be shot of him. Why are you still sharing the same bedroom? Enrico could find you another.”
“I’m not going to let him off easily,” said Jan. “I’m going to make him pay and pay.”
“If he beetles off to South America, as he’s threatening to do, you won’t be able to get anything out of him. Don’t worry. Haven’t I promised to give you my share?”
Jan’s eyes misted over with grateful tears. “You are the very best son any mother could have. What is it, Melissa? I didn’t see you standing there.”
“I just wanted a word with Paul,” said Melissa.
Paul took her hand. “Go on,” he said. “We’re listening.”
“In private, Paul.”
Paul smiled at his mother and then went out with Melissa, who led him upstairs to her bedroom. She locked the door behind him. “Just so that we’re not disturbed. The police have started their damned questions again.”
“What do you want to talk to me about?” asked Paul.
“Well, it’s about us. You’ve asked me to marry you and yet we’ve never made love or anything.”
Paul blushed. “Plenty of time for that after we’re married.”
“But you might kiss me or something like that.” Melissa gently took off his glasses.
Paul, who was a virgin, was not destined to remain so. If anyone had told him that a bare quarter of an hour after kissing Melissa he would be lying in bed naked with her, he would not have believed them. But that was how it happened. Quick, sharp, clumsy, but most satisfying. He felt marvellous. He felt ten feet tall.
“What do you say to a flat in town and a cottage in the country, somewhere near the research station, when we’re married?” he realized Melissa was saying.
“Take a lot of money for that,” he said sleepily.
Melissa took his hand and laid it on her breast. “But you’ll have a lot of money,” she pointed out.
He caressed her breast, marvelling at the smoothness of her skin. “Trouble is, I’ve promised Mother the lot.”
“Now that’s silly,” cooed Melissa. “I mean, she doesn’t need it all. A bit for her and the rest for us. That’s fair. You wouldn’t want to deprive our children of a good education.”
“Children,” said Melissa softly. “Lots and lots of them and we may as well start now.”
She did a few ecstatic things to his body. Paul’s last thought before another wave of red passion crashed over his head was that his mother was not going to be very pleased.
At last he fell asleep, wrapped in her arms. Awake, Melissa stared at the ceiling and thought hard. It was not that she was mercenary, she told an imaginary Hamish Macbeth. It was just that if Paul was going to get all that
