AgathaChristie-ParkerPineDetective

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by Parker Pyne Detective (lit)


  "I should have said, perhaps, any light flirtations?"

  "I never bothered about women much."

  "A mistake. You must start now."

  Mr. Wade looked alarmed. "Oh, look here, I

  couldn't really. I mean--"

  "You will be put to no trouble in the matter. One of

  my staff will be supplied for the purpose. She will tell

  you what is required of you, and any attentions you pay

  her she will, of course, understand to be merely a matter

  of business."

  Mr. Wade looked relieved. "That's better. But do

  you really thinkmI mean, it seems to me that Iris will be

  keener to get rid of me than ever."

  "You do not understand human nature, Mr. Wade.

  Still less do you understand feminine human nature. At

  the present moment you are, from the feminine point of

  view, merely a waste product. Nobody wants you. What

  use has a woman for something that no one wants?

  None whatever. But take another angle. Suppose your

  wife discovers that you are looking forward to regaining

  your freedom as much as she is?"

  "Then she ought to be pleased."

  "She ought to be, perhaps, but she will not be!

  Moreover, she will see that you have attracted a fasci-nating

  young woman--a young woman who could pick

  and choose. Immediately your stock goes up. Your wife

  knows that all her friends will say it was you who tired

  of her and wished to marry a more attractive woman.

  That will annoy her."

  "You think so?"

  "I am sure of it. You will no longer be 'poor dear old

  Reggie.' You will be 'that sly dog Reggie.' All the dif-ference

  in the world! Without relinquishing the other

  man, she will doubtless try to win you back. You will

  not be won. You will ensible and to her all her

  THE CASE OF THE DISCONTENTED HUSBAND

  55

  arguments. 'Much better to part.' 'Temperamentally

  unsuited.' You realize that while what she said was

  true--that you had never understood her--it is also true

  that she had never understood you. But we need not go

  into this now; you will be given full instructions when

  the time comes."

  Mr. Wade seemed doubtful still. "You really think

  that this plan of yours will do the trick?" he asked

  dubiously.

  "I will not say I am absolutely sure of it," said Mr.

  Parker Pyne cautiously. "There is a bare possibility that

  your wife may be so overwhelmingly in love with this

  other man that nothing you could say or do will affect

  her, but I consider that unlikely. She has probably been

  driven into this affair through boredom--boredom with

  the atmosphere of uncritical devotion and absolute

  fidelity with which you have most unwisely surrounded

  her. If you follow my instructions, the chances are, I

  should say, ninety-seven percent in your favor."

  "Good enough," said Mr. Wade. "I'll do it. By the

  way--er--how much?"

  "My fee is two hundred guineas, payable in ad-vance."

  Mr. Wade drew out a check book.

  The grounds of Lorrimer Court were lovely in the

  afternoon sunshine. Iris Wade, lying on a long chair,

  made a delicious spot of color. She was dressed in deli-cate

  shades of mauve and by skillful make-up managed

  to look much younger than her thirty-five years.

  She was talking to her friend Mrs. Massington, whom

  she always found sympathetic. Both ladies were af-flicted

  with athletic husbands who talked stocks and

  shares and golf alternately.

  "--and so one learns to live and let live," finished

  Iris.

  56

  Agatha Christie

  "You're wonderful, darling," said Mrs. Massington

  and added too quickly: "Tell me, who is this girl?"

  Iris raised a weary shoulder. "Don't ask me! Reggie

  found her. She's Reggie's little friend! So amusing. You

  know he never looks at girls as a rule. He came to me

  and hemmed and hawed, and finally said he wanted to

  ask this Miss de Sara down for the week-end. Of course

  I laughed--I couldn't help it. Reggie, you know! Well,

  here she is."

  "Where did he meet her?"

  "I don't know. He was very vague about it all."

  "Perhaps he's known her some time."

  "Oh, I don't think so," said Mrs. Wade. "Of

  course," she went on, "I'm delighted--simply de-lighted.

  I mean, it makes it so much easier for me, as

  things are. Because I have been unhappy about Reggie;

  he's such a dear old thing. That's what I kept saying to

  Sinclair--that it would hurt Reggie so. But he insisted

  that Reggie would soon get over it; it looks as if he were

  right. Two days ago Reggie seemed heartbrokenmand

  now he wants this girl down! As I say, I'm amused. I

  like to see Reggie enjoying himself. I fancy the poor

  fellow actually thought I might be jealous. Such an ab-surd

  idea! 'Of course,' I said, 'have your friend down.'

  Poor Reggie--as though a girl like that could ever care

  about him. She's just amusing herself."

  "She's extremely attractive," said Mrs. Massington.

  "Almost dangerously so, if you know what I mean. The

  sort of girl who cares only for men. I don't feel, some-how,

  she can be a really nice girl."

  "Probably not," said Mrs. Wade.

  "She has marvelous clothes," said Mrs. Massington.

  "Almost too exotic, don't you think?"

  "But very expensive."

  "Opulent. She's too opulent-looking."

  "Here they come," said Mrs. Massington.

  THE CASE OF THE DISCONTENTED HUSBAND

  57

  Madeleine de Sara and Reggie Wade were walking

  across the lawn. They were laughing and talking to-gether

  and seemed very happy. Madeleine flung herself

  into a chair, tore off the bret she was wearing and ran

  her hands through her exquisitely dark curls. She was

  undeniably beautiful.

  "We've had such a marvelous afternoon!" she cried.

  "I'm terribly hot. I must be looking too dreadful."

  Reggie Wade started nervgusly at the sound of his

  cue. "You look--you look--" He gave a little laugh. "I

  won't say it," he finished.

  Madeleine's eyes met his. It was a glance of complete

  understanding on her part. Mrs. Massington noted it

  alertly.

  "You should play golf," said Madeleine to her

  hostess. "You miss such a lot. Why don't you take it

  up? I have a friend who did and became quite good, and

  she was a lot older than you."

  "I don't care for that sort of thing," said Iris coldly.

  "Are you bad at games? How rotten for you! It

  makes one feel so out of things. But really, Mrs. Wade,

  coaching nowadays is so good that almost anyone can

  play fairly well. I improved my tennis no end last sum-mer.

  Of course I'm hopeless at golf."

  "Nonsense!" said Reggie. "You only need coaching.

  Look how you were getting those brassie shots this

  afternoon."

  "Because you showed me how. You're a wonderful

  teacher. Lots of peo
ple simply can't teach. But you've

  got the gift. It must be wonderful to be you--you can do

  everything."

  "Nonsense. I'm no good--no use whatever." Reggie

  was confused.

  "'You must be very proud of him," said Madeleine,

  turning to Mrs. Wade. "How have you managed to

  58

  Agatha Christie

  keep him all these years? You must have been very

  clever. Or have you hidden him away?"

  Her hostess made no reply. She picked up her book

  with a hand that trembled.

  Reggie murmured something about changing, and

  went off.

  "I do think it's so sweet of you to have me here," said

  Madeleine to her hostess. "Some women are so suspi-cious

  of their husbands' friends. I do think jealousy is

  absurd, don't you?"

  "I do indeed. I should never dream of being jealous

  of Reggie."

  "That's wonderful of you! Because anyone can see

  that he's a man who's frightfully attractive to women. It

  was a shock to me when I heard he was married. Why

  do all the attractive men get snapped up young?"

  "I'm glad you find Reggie so attractive," said Mrs.

  Wade.

  "Well, he is, isn't he? So good-looking, and so fright-fully

  good at games. And that pretended indifference of

  his on women. That spurs us one, of course."

  "I suppose you have a lot of men friends," said Mrs.

  Wade.

  "Oh, yes. I like men better than women. Women are

  never reallynice to me. I can't think why."

  "Perhaps you are too nice to their husbands," said

  Mrs. Massington with a tinkly laugh.

  "Well, one's sorry for people sometimes. So many

  nice men are tied to such dull wives. You know, 'arty'

  women and highbrow women. Naturally, the men want

  someone young and bright to talk to. I think the modern

  ideas of marriage and divorce are so sensible. Start

  again while one is still young with someone who shares

  one's tastes and ideas. It's better for everybody in the

  end. I mean, the highbrow wives probably pick up some

  THE CASE OF THE DISCONTENTED HUSBAND 59

  long-haired creature of their own type who satisfies

  them. I think cutting your losses and starting again is a

  wise plan, don't you, Mrs. Wade?."

  "Certainly."

  A certain frostiness in the atmosphere seemed to

  penetrate Madeleine's consciousness. She murmured

  something about changing for tea and left them.

  "Detestable creatures these modern girls are," said

  Mrs. Wade. "Not an idea in their heads."

  "She's got one idea in hers, Iris," said Mrs. Massing

  ton.

  "That girl's in love with Reggie."

  "Nonsense!"

  "She is. I saw the way she looked at him just now.

  She doesn't care a pin whether he's married or not. She

  means to have him. Disgusting, I call it."

  Mrs. Wade was silent a moment, then she laughed un-certainly.

  "After all," she said, "what does it matter?"

  Presently Mrs. Wade, too, went upstairs. Her hus-band

  was in his dressing room changing. He was

  singing.

  "Enjoyed yourself, dear?" said Mrs. Wade.

  "Oh, er--rather, yes."

  "I'm glad. I want you to be happy."

  "Yes, rather."

  Acting a part was not Reggie Wade's strong point,

  but as it happened, the acute embarrassment occasioned

  by his fancying he was doing so did just as well. He

  avoided his wife's eye and jumped when she spoke to

  him. He felt ashamed; hated the farce of it all. Nothing

  could have produced a better effect. He was the picture

  of conscious guilt.

  "How long have you known her?" asked Mrs. Wade

  suddenly.

  "Er--who?"

  "Miss de Sara, of course."

  "Well I don't quite know. I mean--oh some tim

  60

  Agatha Christie

  "Really? You never mentioned her."

  "Didn't I? I suppose I forgot."

  "Forgot indeed!" said Mrs. Wade. She departed with

  a whisk of mauve draperies.

  After tea Mr. Wade showed Miss de Sara the rose

  garden. They walked across the lawn conscious of two

  pairs of eyes raking their backs.

  "Look here." Safe out of sight in the rose garden,

  Mr. Wade unburdened himself. "Look here, I think

  we'll have to give this up. My wife looked at me just

  now as though she hated me."

  "Don't worry," said Madeleine. "It's quite all

  right."

  "Do you think so? I mean, I don't want to put her

  against me. She said several nasty things at tea."

  "It's all right," said Madeleine again. "You're doing

  splendidly."

  "Do you really think so?"

  "Yes." In a lower voice she went on: "Your wife is

  walking round the corner of the terrace. She wants to

  see what we're doing. You'd better kiss me."

  "Oh!" said Mr. Wade nervously. "Must I? I

  mean--"

  "Kiss me!" said Madeleine fiercely.

  Mr. Wade kissed her. Any lack of lan in the performance

  was remedied by Madeleine. She flung her

  arms round him. Mr. Wade staggered.

  "Oh!" he said.

  "Did you hate it very much?" said Madeleine.

  "No, of course not," said Mr. Wade gallantly. "It

  --it just took me by surprise." He added wistfully:

  "Have we been in the rose garden long enough, do you

  think?"

  "I think so," said Madeleine. "We've put in a bit of

  good work here."

  They returned to the lawn.' Mrs. Massington in

  THE CASE OF THE DISCONTENTED HUSBAND 61

  formed them that Mrs. Wade had gone to lie down.

  Later, Mr. Wade joined Madeleine with a perturbed

  face.

  "She's in an awful state--hysterics."

  "Good."

  "She saw me kissing you."

  "Well, we meant her to."

  "I know, but I couldn't say that, could I? I didn't

  know what to say. I said it had just--just--well, happened.

  ' '

  "Excellent."

  "She said you were scheming to marry me and that

  you were no better than you should be. That upset

  me--it seemed such awfully rough luck on you. I mean,

  when you're just doing a job. I said that I had the utmost

  respect for you and that what she said wasn't true

  at all, and I'm afraid I got angry when she went on

  about it."

  "Magnificent!"

  "And then she told me to go away. She doesn't want

  ever to speak to me again. She talked of packing up and

  leaving." His face was dismayed.

  Madeleine smiled. I'll tell you the answer to that

  one. Tell her that you'll be the one to go; that you'll

  pack up and clear out to town."

  "But I don't want to!"

  "That's all right. You won't have to. Your wife

  would hate to think of you amusing yourself in London.''

  The following morning Reggie Wade had a fresh

  bulletin to impart.

  "She says she's been thinking, and that it isn't fair for

  her to go away when she agreed to stay six months. But

  sh
e says that as I have my friends down here she doesn't

  see why she shouldn't have hers. She is asking Sinclair

  Jordan."

  62

  Agatha Christie

  "Is he the one?"

  "Yes, and I'm damned if I'll have him in my. house!"

  "You must," said Madeleine. "Don't worry. I'll attend to him. Say that on thinking things over you have

  no objection, and that you know she won't mind your

  asking me to stay on, too."

  "Oh, dear!" sighed Mr. Wade.

  "Now don't lose heart," said Madeleine. "Everything

  is going splendidly. Another fortnight--and all

  your troubles will be over."

  "A fortnight? Do you really think so?" demanded

  Mr. Wade.

  "Think so? I'm sure of it," said Madeleine.

  A week later Madeleine de Sara entered Mr. Parker

  Pyne's office and sank wearily into a chair.

  "Enter the Queen of Vamps," said Mr. Parker Pyne,

  smiling.

  "Vamps!" said Madeleine. She gave a hollow laugh.

  "I've never had such uphill work being a vamp. That

  man is obsessed by his wife! It's a disease.?

  Mr. Parker Pyne smiled. "Yes, indeed. Well, in one

  way it made our task easier. It is not every man, my dear

  Madeleine, whom I would expose to your fascination so

  lightheartedly."

  The girl laughed. "If you knew the difficulty I had to

 

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