In Like Flynn (Molly Murphy Mysteries, #4)

Now he had actually warned me to keep my nose out of his business,- hadn't he? I had to find a way to let Daniel know. Had I mentioned Desmond O'Mara to him? I wasn't sure what I had said during his surprise visit through the window. My weakness at the time and his very closeness as he sat on my bed must have addled my brains.

I wondered if I could find a chance to sneak into Barney’s study and use the telephone, then I decided it would be too risky. Even if Barney and Joe Rimes went out, they didn't always take Desmond with them, and there was always the ever-lurking Soames sneaking around. So it would have to be the long slog to the village and back, which I wasn't looking forward to as the day had become especially muggy and sultry. And I was still feeling weak from my Iillness. Then I remembered the Van Gelders next door. They should be told about our tragedy and I could volunteer myself to be the bringer of the bad news—and ask to use their telephone at the same time. Just in Hartley was possibly still there, but I had to take that risk.

I was about to go downstairs when I heard a little voice coming from Eileen’s room. “London Bridge is falling down,” the child was singing, but the song broke off abruptly. My heart went out to the poor little thing, shut away up there with her nurse, probably wondering just what was going on and what would happen now that she had no mother. I just prayed that Barney had visited her as promised and had told her the bad news. I didn't want to be the one to break it to her.

When the door opened, I could tell instantly that she had been told. She was wearing a plain navy blue dress with no adornment and her hair had been pulled back into two pigtails. What’s more, she was wearing black stockings and shoes.

“Oh, Miss Gaffney,” the nurse said, looking startled, “I hope you haven't come to complain about the singing. I've tried to teach the child decorum but she doesn't seem to take in the seriousness of the situation.”

“Why would she?” I asked, smiling at Eileen as I came into the room. “The poor little mite hardly knows her mother from the Queen of the May. And the very young have no concept of death.”

Nurse nodded. “You're right about that. She keeps asking me when her mommy will be coming back from heaven and can she go there to visit.”

“I'll try to talk to her if you like,” I said. “At any rate I thought she might welcome a visit. You too.”

“I won't deny it gets awful lonely stuck up here,” the nanny agreed. “She’s a sweet child, affectionate and bright for her age, but I do miss the company of women. Sometimes Cook comes up of an evening and we have a nice little chat together, but that’s about it. The maids are just fly-by-night girls except for that Adele, who thinks she’s too grand for the rest of us—as does Mr. Soames.”

“Mr. Soames is an interesting man,” I said. “Does he ever talk to any of you about himself? He speaks such a beautiful upper-class English I'm wondering whether he started out life in service, or if he’s come to reduced circumstances?”

Nurse shook her head. “If he’s said anything, it’s never been to me,” she said. “He keeps himself to himself. I couldn't tell you if he was bom in England or Timbuctoo.”

Eileen had come up to me and was tugging at my skirt. “Come and play with me,” she said. “Nurse says I'm not to play because of Mommy going to heaven, but it’s boring just looking at my Bible pictures.”

“We won't be allowed to play anything too rowdy,” I said, stroking her sleek, dark head, “but I don't think Nurse would mind if we played a quiet game.”

“With my Noah’s ark?” she asked, glancing up at Nurse, who nodded silently.

I knelt on the floor beside her as she took it out and I remembered something. I put my hand into my skirt pocket and it was still there. “Eileen, I have a surprise for you,” I said. “You'll never guess what I just found.” And I produced the camel.

Eileen’s eyes opened wide for a moment, then a beaming smile spread across her face. “You found it—the missing camel! You are so clever. Now the other camel doesn't have to be lonely.” She took the camel from me and placed it tenderly beside its mate.

I hardly noticed what she was doing because I was staring at her as if I'd been struck by a thunderbolt. Until this moment I had never seen her smile. Now she had smiled and it was enchanting. Her whole face lit up, those dark eyes flashed and two adorable dimples appeared in her cheeks. And the amazing thing was that I had seen those dimples and that smile somewhere before, as I sat with Margie McAlister on the bench inside an inn, after I had just run her over on my bicycle.

“Miss Gaffney?” Eileen tugged at my sleeve. “Miss Gaffney, you can be Mr. Noah if you like today. I'll be the man who brings the animals to the ark.”

“Are you all right, Miss Gaffney?” Nurse asked. “You've gone quite pale. I understand that you haven't been at all well.”

I got to my feet. “You're right. I've had gastric troubles all this week. Maybe I should go and lie down and come back to play with Eileen when I feel better.”