wondered a little why it was called The Laurels,' said Tuppence.
'Oh well, that was the kind of name people liked to give a house. Of course, if you go back far enough, probably to the time of the Parkinsons, I think there were laurels. Probably a drive, you know, curling round and a lot of laurels, including those speckled ones. I never liked speckled laurels.'
'No,' said Tuppence, 'I do agree with you. I don't like them either. There seem to have been a lot of Parkinsons here,' she added.
'Oh yes. I think they occupied it longer than anyone else.'
'Nobody seems able to tell one much about them.'
'Well, it was a long time ago, you see, dear. And after the - well I think after the - the trouble you know, and there was some feeling about it and of course one doesn't wonder they sold the place.'
'It had a bad reputation, did it?' said Tuppence, taking a chance. 'Do you mean the house was supposed to be insanitary, or something?
'Oh no, not the house. No, really, the people you see. Well of course, there was the - the disgrace, in a way - it was during the first war. Nobody could believe it. My grandmother used to talk about it and say that it was something to do with naval secrets - about a new submarine. There was a girl living with the Parkinsons who was said to have been mixed up with it all.'
'Was that Mary Jordan?' said Tuppence.
'Yes. Yes, you're quite right. Afterwards they suspected that it wasn't her real name. I think somebody had suspected her for some time. The boy had, Alexander. Nice boy. Quite sharp too.'
Postern of Fate
Book II
Postern of Fate
Chapter 1
A LONG TIME AGO
Tuppence was selecting birthday cards. It was a wet afternoon and the post office was almost empty. People dropped letters into the post box outside or occasionally made a hurried purchase of stamps. Then they usually departed to get home as soon as possible. It was not one of those crowded shopping afternoons. In fact, Tuppence thought, she had chosen this particular day very well.
Gwenda, whom she had managed to recognize easily from Beatrice's description, had been only too pleased to come to her assistance. Gwenda represented the household shopping side of the post office. An elderly woman with grey hair presided over the government business of Her Majesty's mails. Gwenda, a chatty girl, interested always in new arrivals to the village, was happy among the Christmas cards, valentines, birthday cards, comic postcards, note-paper and stationery, various types of chocolates and sundry china articles of domestic use. She and Tuppence were already on friendly terms.
'I'm so glad that house has been opened up again. Princes Lodge, I mean.'
'I thought it had always been The Laurels.'
'Oh no. I don't think it was ever called that. Houses change names a lot around here. People do like giving new names to houses, you know.'
'Yes, they certainly seem to,' said Tuppence thoughtfully. 'Even we have thought of a name or two. By the way, Beatrice told me that you knew someone once living here called Mary Jordan.'
'I didn't know her, but I have heard her mentioned. In the war it was, not the last war. The one long before that when there used to be zeppelins.'
'I remember hearing about zeppelins,' said Tuppence.
'In 1915 or 1916 - they came over London.'
'I remember I'd gone to the Army & Navy Stores one day with an old great-aunt and there was an alarm.'
'They used to come over at night sometimes, didn't they? Must have been rather frightening, I should think.'
'Well, I don't think it was really,' said Tuppence. 'People used to get quite excited. It wasn't nearly as frightening as the flying bombs - in this last war. One always felt rather as though they were following you to places. Following you down a street, or something like that.'
'Spend all your nights in the tube, did you? I had a friend in London. She used to spend all the nights in the tubes. Warren Street, I think it was. Everyone used to have their own particular tube
'Oh well, that was the kind of name people liked to give a house. Of course, if you go back far enough, probably to the time of the Parkinsons, I think there were laurels. Probably a drive, you know, curling round and a lot of laurels, including those speckled ones. I never liked speckled laurels.'
'No,' said Tuppence, 'I do agree with you. I don't like them either. There seem to have been a lot of Parkinsons here,' she added.
'Oh yes. I think they occupied it longer than anyone else.'
'Nobody seems able to tell one much about them.'
'Well, it was a long time ago, you see, dear. And after the - well I think after the - the trouble you know, and there was some feeling about it and of course one doesn't wonder they sold the place.'
'It had a bad reputation, did it?' said Tuppence, taking a chance. 'Do you mean the house was supposed to be insanitary, or something?
'Oh no, not the house. No, really, the people you see. Well of course, there was the - the disgrace, in a way - it was during the first war. Nobody could believe it. My grandmother used to talk about it and say that it was something to do with naval secrets - about a new submarine. There was a girl living with the Parkinsons who was said to have been mixed up with it all.'
'Was that Mary Jordan?' said Tuppence.
'Yes. Yes, you're quite right. Afterwards they suspected that it wasn't her real name. I think somebody had suspected her for some time. The boy had, Alexander. Nice boy. Quite sharp too.'
Postern of Fate
Book II
Postern of Fate
Chapter 1
A LONG TIME AGO
Tuppence was selecting birthday cards. It was a wet afternoon and the post office was almost empty. People dropped letters into the post box outside or occasionally made a hurried purchase of stamps. Then they usually departed to get home as soon as possible. It was not one of those crowded shopping afternoons. In fact, Tuppence thought, she had chosen this particular day very well.
Gwenda, whom she had managed to recognize easily from Beatrice's description, had been only too pleased to come to her assistance. Gwenda represented the household shopping side of the post office. An elderly woman with grey hair presided over the government business of Her Majesty's mails. Gwenda, a chatty girl, interested always in new arrivals to the village, was happy among the Christmas cards, valentines, birthday cards, comic postcards, note-paper and stationery, various types of chocolates and sundry china articles of domestic use. She and Tuppence were already on friendly terms.
'I'm so glad that house has been opened up again. Princes Lodge, I mean.'
'I thought it had always been The Laurels.'
'Oh no. I don't think it was ever called that. Houses change names a lot around here. People do like giving new names to houses, you know.'
'Yes, they certainly seem to,' said Tuppence thoughtfully. 'Even we have thought of a name or two. By the way, Beatrice told me that you knew someone once living here called Mary Jordan.'
'I didn't know her, but I have heard her mentioned. In the war it was, not the last war. The one long before that when there used to be zeppelins.'
'I remember hearing about zeppelins,' said Tuppence.
'In 1915 or 1916 - they came over London.'
'I remember I'd gone to the Army & Navy Stores one day with an old great-aunt and there was an alarm.'
'They used to come over at night sometimes, didn't they? Must have been rather frightening, I should think.'
'Well, I don't think it was really,' said Tuppence. 'People used to get quite excited. It wasn't nearly as frightening as the flying bombs - in this last war. One always felt rather as though they were following you to places. Following you down a street, or something like that.'
'Spend all your nights in the tube, did you? I had a friend in London. She used to spend all the nights in the tubes. Warren Street, I think it was. Everyone used to have their own particular tube
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