Page 156 of One More Christmas at the Castle
‘I don’t. I think kleptomania is just another name for being a thief,’ said Mrs Powys.
‘Oh, no, dear, you’re quite wrong – it’s a recognized syndrome,’ said Nancy. ‘Still, now everything is out in the open, all we have to do is, as I said earlier, let Dido return the ring toher friend’s mother, who she thinks will be so happy to have it back that she won’t take any further action.’
‘Take it, then –Idon’t want it,’ Sophie screamed, and, picking it up, threw it at me with some violence, though luckily she was a rotten shot and it merely fell into the butter dish.
‘I’m sure that will be best, Nancy,’ agreed Mrs Powys, ignoring this. Then she gave her puckish, three-cornered grin and added, ‘So now, all we have to do is lock up our valuables until you leave, Sophie!’
‘Leave? I’m leaving right now,’ declared Sophie wildly. ‘You don’t think I’m going to spend another minute under this roof, do you?’
‘My dear girl,’ said Nigel, ‘I don’t think you have any choice. Xan told me the road is still quite frozen and impassable.’
‘It is,’ agreed Xan. ‘Better wait until tomorrow.’
‘I don’t believe you. And anyway, I’d rather die trying than stay here! I must go – Imust!’ Her voice was beginning to rise ominously again and Simon gave her an anxious look.
‘Then why not come and stay in my cottage, until the roads thaw out?’ he suggested.
She stopped on a sob and stared at him with huge, wet, pansy-brown eyes.
‘The central heating boiler’s broken, so it’s freezing cold, but I can light the log burner to warm the place up a bit …’
Sophie said quickly, ‘Oh,yes! Do take me there right now, Simon. You are so kind – I think you’re the only one who truly understands me.’
‘In that case …’ he said, and glanced enquiringly at the rest of us. ‘Don’t you think that would be for the best? I can fetch Sophie’s car as soon as the roads are passable again.’
‘I think rain is forecast for tomorrow,’ Frank said suddenly.He’d been so quiet, you would have thought he’d had no interest in what had been going on.
‘Don’t be silly, Sophie! I wouldn’t throw you out into the cold, cold snow, like a Victorian heroine in a melodrama, even if there was any left,’ snapped Mrs Powys. ‘You had better stay here another night, where it’s at least warm and comfortable.’
But Sophie flatly refused. ‘I’m going with Simon. I’ll pack now and then perhaps someone would be kind enough to carry my luggage down?’
‘I will,’ said Henry. ‘But you aren’t going to take itallwith you, are you? It’s a bit of a walk.’
‘I’ll need one suitcase; the other can go in the boot of my car,’ she said. She seemed to be recovering now the prospect of escape had opened up. ‘And my beauty box too, of course.’
‘I’ll walk across with you and Simon to help carry stuff,’ Xan said kindly.
‘Me too,’ agreed Dom, and Nigel said he’d quite like a stroll and would accompany them.
‘In that case, I’ll stay and get on with being a busy little house elf,’ said Henry.
When Sophie and Simon had gone upstairs to pack, Olive said, in her slightly plaintive voice, ‘Well, what a turn-up for the books that was!’
‘I can still hardly believe it,’ agreed Lucy.
‘I can only apologize to all of you for my granddaughter’s behaviour,’ said poor Mr Makepeace.
He looked at me. ‘Youaresure the rightful owner of the ring will not take the matter further?’
‘Yes, she’ll just be so happy to have it back,’ I assured him.
‘In that case, you’d better take charge of it straight away,’ he said, and Henry, who had retrieved it from the butter dish and wiped it on a napkin, held it out to me: such a small thing tocause such a huge scene! But then, I suppose the same could be said of Sophie …
Mrs Powys, who was looking wonderfully revived, said bracingly, ‘Well, cheer up, Timothy! Now we’ve sorted that little problem out, we’ll go and deal with more pressing business! Come along, we’ll go to the library. Dido, perhaps you could bring some fresh coffee there?’
‘Of course, Mrs Powys,’ I said automatically, and made for the kitchen, feeling slightly shattered.
Henry caught me up and said, ‘Fun and games! Mrs Powys looked quite invigorated by it all, didn’t she?’
