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

Chapter XIIIthey had the cold ducks for supper. After the ducks there was a caramel custard which,Lady Angkatell said, showed just the right feeling on the part of Mrs. Medway.Cooking, she said, really gave great scope to delicacy of feeling. "We are only, asshe knows, moderately fond of caramel custard. There would be something verygross, just after the death of a friend, in eating one's favourite pudding. Butcaramel custard is so easy—slippery if you know what I mean—and then one leavesa little on one's plate." She sighed and said that she hoped they had done right inletting Gerda go back to London. "But quite correct of Henry to go with her."For Sir Henry had insisted on driving Gerda to Harley Street. "She will come backhere for the inquest, of course," went on Lady Angkatell, meditatively eating caramelcustard. "But, naturally, she wanted to break it to the children--they might see it in thepapers and with only a Frenchwoman in the house-- one knows how excitable--acrise de nerfs, possibly. But Henry will deal with her, and I really think Gerda will bequite all right. She will probably send for some relations-- sisters perhaps. Gerda isthe sort of person who is sure to have sisters--three or four, Ishould think, probably living at Tunbridge Wells." "What extraordinary thingsyou do say, Lucy," said Midge. "Well, darling, Torquay if you prefer it --no, notTorquay. They would be at least sixty-five if they were living at Torquay--Eastbourne, perhaps, or St. Leonard's." Lady Angkatell looked at the last spoonfulof caramel custard, seemed to condole with it, and laid it down very gently uneaten.David, who liked only savouries, looked down gloomily at his empty plate. LadyAngkatell got up. "I think we shall all want to go to bed early tonight," she said."So much has happened, hasn't it? One has no idea, from read ing about these things inthe paper, how tiring they are. I feel, you know, as though I had walked about fifteenmiles . . . instead