The Curious Incident at Claridge's Read Online Free Page B

of thing. Well, should have known better. Eros is perfidious and ambiguous, a cheat and a sorcerer, a mixer of … Remember that one? How did it go on?’
    The Master stroked his pointed silver beard. ‘ The mixer of inflaming potions and hemlock, destroyer of human hearts, sensuous and violent, brother to Thanatos .’
    â€˜Hemlock, eh? Oh, it’s been a terrible day. Absolute calamity. My housekeeper died this morning. That shook me up. I was angry with her but I didn’t really want her to chuck herself from the top of my house. That was a bit extreme.’
    â€˜From the top of your house? Oh dear!’
    â€˜No one can say for sure what exactly happened . No witnesses. Looks like suicide. The police came, of course. Bloody nuisance. Might have been an accident. I’d just sacked her, you see. Mrs Mowbray wasn’t a nice woman. Far from it. Vindictive. Had a son called Victor. I didn’t like him coming to the house one little bit. Told her off about it hundreds of times. Wonder if he was after Penelope? Then I caught Mrs Mowbray cooking the accounts—that’s what did it in the end—the last straw. I’m afraid I lost my temper—shouted—showed her the door—she quibbled over her wages. Didn’t strike me as suicidal at all. Tiresome business—tragic too, ultimately. Not my fault. No question of me being held responsible in any way.’
    â€˜I should hope not!’
    â€˜You are a good chap, Master. One of the very few who understand me. For once, Penelope took my side. She was most supportive. Usually, when it comes to that sort of thing, she is no more good than a sick headache, but this time she rose to the occasion. She had no illusions about Mrs Mowbray. Penelope can be a sweet girl—but she tends to be demanding and capricious. Always wants something. I try to keep her on a short leash. She’s got a budget she needs to stick to and she resents it. She likes to buy new clothes, you see. Not ordinary clothes, good heavens, no. Haute couture. She’s a pretty girl and looks good in expensive rags, so these are the only kind of rags she buys. Hangover from her modelling days, I suppose. Such a lot of nonsense. She’s a former model, remember.’
    â€˜I do remember.’
    â€˜Penelope craves luxury. She’d be snacking on ground-diamond toasties and bathing in champagne, if I ever lowered my guard. Oh yes. She likes foreign travel—holidays abroad. We’ve got a house in the South of France, but that’s proving too expensive to maintain. She’s fond of parties, the theatre, something called “gigs”. I am afraid I can’t keep up with her. Well, perhaps I am a little set in my ways, which at my age is not entirely to be marvelled at.’
    â€˜You shouldn’t blame yourself!’
    â€˜Oh, but I don’t. Not in the least. Such nonsense. I feel at peace here. Each time I find myself under your roof, I have the sensation of—having arrived. This place feels like home. A proper sanctuary. I hate Half Moon Street. I feel wretched in Half Moon Street.’
    â€˜I am so sorry.’
    Sir Seymour’s lower lip trembled slightly. His voice quavered. Penelope had been brusque with him lately. She spent too much time talking to her friends on the phone. Most of his opinions either annoyed her or made her laugh. ‘For example, yesterday I said—what did I say now? No, I can’t remember. Never mind. We had a bit of a row this morning. I said I intended to sell the villa in Monte and she said—oh, it was most unpleasant. And to add insult to injury, she then said it was high time I got a hearing aid. Well, that was only an hour before the commotion started—I mean Mrs Mowbray deciding to end it all. Never imagined that class of person ever went in for the final solution, but there you are. A perfectly ghastly day. I do apologize, Master. I have no right to bore you with