Agatha Christie The Hollow Chapter I At 6:13 a.m. ... - bzelbublive.info

Chapter Xit was ten o'clock the next morning whensideboard.John came down. Breakfast was on theGerda had had her breakfast sent up to her in bed and had been rather perturbedsince perhaps she might be "giving trouble." Nonsense, John had said. People like theAngkatells, who still managed to have butlers and servants, might just as well givethem something to do. He felt very kindly towards Gerda this morning. All thatnervous irritation that had so fretted him of late seemed to have died down anddisappeared. Sir Henry and Edward had gone out shooting. Lady Angkatell toldhim. She herself was busy with a gardening basket and gardening gloves. Hestayed talking to her for a while until Gudgeon approached him ^ith a letter on asalver. "This has just come by hand, sir."He took it with slightly raised eyebrows. Veronica! He strolled into the library,tearing it open. Please come over this morning. I must see you.Veronica. Imperious as ever, he thought! He'd a good mind not to go. Then hethought he might as well and get it over. He'd go at once. He took the pathopposite the library window, passed by the swimming pool which was a kind ofnucleus with paths radiating from it in every direction, one up the hill to the woodsproper, one from the flower walk above the house, one from the farm and the onethat led on to the lane which he tooknow. A few yards up the lane was the cottage called Dovecotes. Veronicawas waiting for him. She spoke from the window of the pretentious half-timberedbuilding. "Come inside, John. It's cold this morning." There was a fire lit inthe sitting room which was furnished in off-white with pale cyclamen cushions.Looking at her this morning with an appraising eye, he saw the differences therewere from the girl he remembered, as he had not been able to see them last night.Strictly speaking, he thought, she was more beautiful now than then. She understoodher beauty better, and she cared for it and enhanced it in every way. Her hair whichhad been deep golden was now a silvery platinum colour. Her eyebrows were different,