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 Mini
Mystery (a serial-told-paragraph by paragraph) Story
began with previous agony ads. Chapters are not
repeated. Setting: 1930's
-London.
DESIGN OF THE DRAGON Chapter 13
©
Linda Pilkington
After
walking for some minutes in silence, Gillian looked
about, the clouds were beginning to lift- if the day
brightened the others on the estate would soon be
out of doors, including the dreaded, and dreadful,
Marsden Ramsay, Jocelyn's husband.
Gillian wondered for a moment whether her brother
John, and Peter Simon, "expert in porcelains", had
discovered any chicanery in the Richardson porcelain
collection. That was- after-all the first assignment
for Restons' -to find out if someone was stealing
from Colleen Richardson.
That
was the suspected crime, and Gillian's job was to
get to know the relatives-to find the ones most
likely to be involved in theft-if theft was the only
difficulty.
But
always with people, reality was more complicated,
and often the story, behind the story could be what
would help in resolving Colleen Richardson's
problems.
Whether the story was one of pilfering from the
porcelain collection, or whether someone was
planning on removing Colleen Richardson as the heir
to the estate, Gillian needed more answers from Mrs.
Ramsay, before their conversation was interrupted.
"I
hadn't realized that the four cousins, English,
American and Irish, had been seeing so much of each
other, and had been close friends for so many
years." She said, by way of restarting the
discussion.
"Oh
yes, since childhood. It was Gerald's father's
doing- I suppose. He probably was trying to keep the
Richardson influence, his own bloodline- as a strong
influence in times to come. He was looking ahead to
his grandchildren. That is the way that he thought.
Now, of course- there will be no grandchildren."
"Yes,
some plans, no matter how determined- aren't
fulfilled." Mrs., Ramsay said, thoughtfully.
"So
he was hoping to make himself a force in the future.
If his bloodline was passed on in both his son and
his son's wife the grandchildren would inherit
in both the physical traits and personality
-characteristics that would make the grandfather
immortal." Gillian said.
"Didn't he realize that weakness and disease might
also be passed on?"
"I
doubt if he ever thought that he or his family had
any weakness or disease, Miss Adams."
"And
his plan would have worked out well-had Gerald
lived. Gerald and Colleen always were attracted to
each other, I suppose?" Gillian asked.
"Actually, for years I was sure that Anne Bentley
and Gerald were a more likely couple. Anne had more
impact-more attraction than Colleen-if you can
imagine."
"No,
I can't. But really, but I had heard that Anne
Bentley wasn't attractive after childhood."
"Goodness, who could have said that? Well, everyone
has their opinion I suppose." Jocelyn Ramsay looked
a bit surprised.
"Still it is an astonishing thing to say." She
murmured to herself, and then as an explanation,
said, "Anne Bentley does have the personality of an
actress- she could take on any part- I do recall
seeing her- at least I thought it was her-up in
London-looking quite dowdy. I wasn't sure why-
perhaps she had been ill. Of course I never asked
her about it. But it was puzzling."
" But
no, Anne was always an absolute beauty. She and
Colleen so much alike in every way-except for that
little extra that Anne had that seemed to attract so
many men. When she and Colleen were in a room- the
circle was around Anne-I'm sure that it made Colleen
a bit upset at times." She reported with a touch of
relish.
"To
me, Miss Adams, it always seemed like the beginning
of trouble for them all. There was Colleen-who had
fallen in love with Gerald, and Gerald smitten with
Anne."
"And
Anne, who was she smitten with?"
"Early on it looked to me that Trevor Connor was a
bit of an obsession-actually they were obsessed with
each other. They couldn't seem to see anyone else.
Then something changed, and for awhile it looked as
if Gerald was the favorite-in fact-I was sure that
it was settled. Then again, something changed. And
in the end it was Colleen and Gerald who were
engaged. Such switching about and intrigue-almost
like the French."
"But
where is Anne Bentley now?" Gillian asked.
Suddenly they heard foot steps approaching, and
looking behind they saw an unlikely pair, Marsden
Ramsay and Trevor Connor hurrying to catch up with
them.
"Goodness, Marsden, you will wind yourself!" Jocelyn
Ramsay, fluttered.
Gillian was torn between an inner curse at the bad
luck of an interruption, and the necessity of a
false smile of welcome. She managed to do both.
Chapter 13
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The Castle Herald
