Truth Will Out Read Online Free

mischief. When the cat’s away, the mice will play!’
    ‘A grand old time? What are you implying?’ Maude challenged, laughing.
    Alice said, ‘We could give a wild party and invite all sorts of undesirables!’
    ‘You don’t know any undesirables!’ Maude stirred sugar into her tea. ‘Or maybe you do!’
    ‘Precisely. I might be friends with an axe murderer, for all you know! Or my favourite uncle might have been a forger. Bank notes and such like.’
    Not to be outdone, Biddy said, ‘We could run off with the family silver while you’re both away.’
    Maude ignored the suggestion. ‘Anyway, the plan is we’re going to take gentle strolls along the cliff tops at Fairlight, and maybe picnic on the beach. Fresh sea air!’
    ‘You can do all that here in Folkestone,’ Biddy pointed out. ‘What’s so special about Hastings? It’s rather gone down in the world, hasn’t it?’
    ‘Don’t say that!’ Maude said indignantly. ‘Lionel thinks—’
    ‘It used to be popular with invalids with lung troubles who needed fresh air,’ her aunt continued unabashed. ‘And the sun and sea bathing was highly recommended, but that’s mostly gone now. Hastings isn’t what it was although it’s trying to recover.’ She cut another slice of bread. ‘Your grandmother lived there all her life and she used to go on about all the wealthy people who came down from London in the summer, but now it’s only day trippers and the like. Noisy, no money, here one day and gone the next! At least Folkestone has avoided that particular problem.’
    Maude shrugged off the criticism. ‘Well anyway, Lionel thinks the change will do us good. He may need to spend the odd day in London at the gallery but there’s a train service, although it’s very slow and not especially punctual.’
    ‘So he’ll be leaving you on your own some days.’ Alice got up to let Primmy in again and gave her some scrapings from the porridge saucepan. ‘You’ll find that a bit odd, won’t you? You might be lonely without your devoted aunt and your faithful companion.’
    ‘I shan’t be alone exactly,’ said Maude. She knew Alice was teasing her but insisted on taking the comment seriously. The same thought had occurred to her but she wasn’t about to admit it. ‘There’ll be other people staying in the hotel, presumably, and the staff will be on hand. I might even take some charcoal and a sketchbook and do some sketching in the gardens. Apparently they have a very attractive garden. A small lily pool . . . and a small aviary.’
    ‘Forget the birds,’ Biddy suggested. ‘They’ll be difficult to sketch with all that fluttering. Unless they are parrots. They do at least sit still on their perches most of the time. I’d go for the lilies if I were you.’
    ‘You ought to be able to sketch, Maude,’ said Alice, ‘and paint, with such a famous artist for a father.’
    ‘You’d think so but I’m not much good at it. Still, it would pass the time.’
    Biddy suddenly lost interest in the conversation. The idea of herself and Alice being left to their own devices depressed her. There would only be Alice to enjoy her cooking. Poor Lionel would miss her puddings. She stood up abruptly and smoothed her apron. ‘I think I’ll make a bacon roly-poly for supper,’ she said. ‘All those in favour?’
    Two hands rose obediently.
    Biddy’s smile returned.
    The following days seemed to rush past while Maude spent a great deal of time trying to decide which clothes to take with her. She knew they would be expected to dress for dinner so she spent a cheerful afternoon with Alice, shopping for a suitable outfit to augment the dress she already had. They finally agreed on a lavender skirt and a lightweight jacket in the same colour but with white trim at the cuffs and collar. Maude began to look forward to the trip. The fact that they wouldn’t be too far from home allayed her fears about her aunt and Alice being left to fend for themselves and Lionel