the mysterious affair at styles

338 Pages·2013·0.52 MB·English

THE MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR
AT STYLES
byAgathaChristie
StyledbyLimpidSoft
Contents
CHAPTERI 4
CHAPTERII 27
CHAPTERIII 42
CHAPTERIV 55
CHAPTERV 90
CHAPTERVI 138
2
CONTENTS
CHAPTERVII 161
CHAPTERVIII 182
CHAPTERIX 211
CHAPTERX 236
CHAPTERXI 264
CHAPTERXII 297
CHAPTERXIII 315
3
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CHAPTER I
I GO TO STYLES
The intense interest aroused in the public by what was
known at the time as “The Styles Case” has now some-
whatsubsided. Nevertheless,inviewoftheworld-wide
notoriety which attended it, I have been asked, both by
my friend Poirot and the family themselves, to write an
accountofthewholestory.This,wetrust,willeffectually
silencethesensationalrumourswhichstillpersist.
I will therefore briefly set down the circumstances
whichledtomybeingconnectedwiththeaffair.
CHAPTER I
I had been invalided home from the Front; and, after
spendingsomemonthsinaratherdepressingConvales-
cent Home, was given a month’s sick leave. Having no
near relations or friends, I was trying to make up my
mind what to do, when I ran across John Cavendish. I
hadseenverylittleofhimforsomeyears. Indeed,Ihad
neverknownhimparticularlywell.Hewasagoodfifteen
yearsmysenior, foronething, thoughhehardlylooked
hisforty-fiveyears. Asaboy,though,Ihadoftenstayed
atStyles,hismother’splaceinEssex.
We had a good yarn about old times, and it ended in
hisinvitingmedowntoStylestospendmyleavethere.
“Thematerwillbedelightedtoseeyouagain–afterall
thoseyears,”headded.
“Yourmotherkeepswell?”Iasked.
“Oh, yes. I suppose you know that she has married
again?”
IamafraidIshowedmysurpriseratherplainly. Mrs.
Cavendish,whohadmarriedJohn’sfatherwhenhewasa
widowerwithtwosons,hadbeenahandsomewomanof
middle-ageasIrememberedher. Shecertainlycouldnot
beadaylessthanseventynow. Irecalledherasanener-
getic, autocratic personality, somewhat inclined to char-
6
CHAPTER I
itable and social notoriety, with a fondness for opening
bazaarsandplayingtheLadyBountiful. Shewasamost
generous woman, and possessed a considerable fortune
ofherown.
Theircountry-place,StylesCourt,hadbeenpurchased
byMr.Cavendishearlyintheirmarriedlife.Hehadbeen
completelyunderhiswife’sascendancy,somuchsothat,
ondying,helefttheplacetoherforherlifetime,aswell
asthelargerpartofhisincome;anarrangementthatwas
distinctlyunfairtohistwosons.Theirstep-mother,how-
ever, had always been most generous to them; indeed,
they were so young at the time of their father’s remar-
riagethattheyalwaysthoughtofherastheirownmother.
Lawrence,theyounger,hadbeenadelicateyouth. He
hadqualifiedasadoctorbutearlyrelinquishedthepro-
fessionofmedicine,andlivedathomewhilepursuinglit-
eraryambitions;thoughhisversesneverhadanymarked
success.
Johnpracticedforsometimeasabarrister,buthadfi-
nallysettleddowntothemorecongeniallifeofacountry
squire. He had married two years ago, and had taken
his wife to live at Styles, though I entertained a shrewd
suspicionthathewouldhavepreferredhismothertoin-
7
CHAPTER I
crease his allowance, which would have enabled him to
haveahomeofhisown. Mrs. Cavendish,however,was
a lady who liked to make her own plans, and expected
otherpeopletofallinwiththem,andinthiscaseshecer-
tainlyhadthewhiphand,namely:thepursestrings.
John noticed my surprise at the news of his mother’s
remarriageandsmiledratherruefully.
“Rottenlittleboundertoo!”hesaidsavagely.“Icantell
you,Hastings,it’smakinglifejollydifficultforus.Asfor
Evie–yourememberEvie?”
“No.”
“Oh, I suppose she was after your time. She’s the
mater’sfactotum,companion,Jackofalltrades! Agreat
sport–oldEvie!Notpreciselyyoungandbeautiful,butas
gameastheymakethem.”
“Youweregoingtosay—-?”
“Oh, thisfellow! Heturnedupfromnowhere, onthe
pretext of beinga second cousin or somethingof Evie’s,
thoughshedidn’tseemparticularlykeentoacknowledge
therelationship. Thefellowisanabsoluteoutsider,any-
onecanseethat. He’sgotagreatblackbeard,andwears
patent leather boots in all weathers! But the mater cot-
8
CHAPTER I
tonedtohimatonce,tookhimonassecretary–youknow
howshe’salwaysrunningahundredsocieties?”
Inodded.
“Well,ofcoursethewarhasturnedthehundredsinto
thousands. No doubt the fellow was very useful to her.
But you could have knocked us all down with a feather
when, three months ago, she suddenly announced that
sheandAlfredwereengaged!Thefellowmustbeatleast
twentyyearsyoungerthansheis! It’ssimplybare-faced
fortune hunting; but there you are–she is her own mis-
tress,andshe’smarriedhim.”
“Itmustbeadifficultsituationforyouall.”
“Difficult!It’sdamnable!”
Thus it came about that, three days later, I descended
fromthetrainatStylesSt. Mary,anabsurdlittlestation,
withnoapparentreasonforexistence,perchedupinthe
midstofgreenfieldsandcountrylanes. JohnCavendish
was waiting on the platform, and piloted me out to the
car.
“Got a drop or two of petrol still, you see,” he re-
marked.“Mainlyowingtothemater’sactivities.”
ThevillageofStylesSt. Marywassituatedabouttwo
miles from the little station, and Styles Court lay a mile
9
CHAPTER I
theothersideofit. Itwasastill,warmdayinearlyJuly.
As one looked out over the flat Essex country, lying so
green and peaceful under the afternoon sun, it seemed
almostimpossibletobelievethat,notsoveryfaraway,a
greatwarwasrunningitsappointedcourse. IfeltIhad
suddenlystrayedintoanotherworld. Asweturnedinat
thelodgegates,Johnsaid:
“I’m afraid you’ll find it very quiet down here, Hast-
ings.”
“Mydearfellow,that’sjustwhatIwant.”
“Oh, it’s pleasant enough if you want to lead the idle
life. Idrillwiththevolunteerstwiceaweek, andlenda
handatthefarms.Mywifeworksregularly‘ontheland’.
She is up at five every morning to milk, and keeps at it
steadilyuntillunchtime. It’sajollygoodlifetakingitall
round–ifitweren’tforthatfellowAlfredInglethorp!”He
checked the car suddenly, and glanced at his watch. “I
wonderifwe’vetimetopickupCynthia. No,she’llhave
startedfromthehospitalbynow.”
“Cynthia!That’snotyourwife?”
“No,Cynthiaisaprotegeeofmymother’s,thedaugh-
ter of an old schoolfellow of hers, who married a ras-
cally solicitor. He came a cropper, and the girl was left
10