Final Curtain

For Joan and Cecilwith my love

Cover

Title Page

Dedication

Cast of Characters

1. Siege of Troy

2. Departure

3. Ancreton

4. Sir Henry

5. The Bloody Child

6. Paint

7. Fiesta

8. Big Exit

9. Alleyn

10. Bombshell from Thomas

11. Alleyn at Ancreton

12. The Bell and the Book

13. Spotlight on Cedric

14. Psychiatry and a Churchyard

15. New System

16. Positively the Last Appearance of Sir Henry Ancred

17. Escape of Miss O.

18. The Last Appearance of Miss O.

19. Final Curtain

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Also by the Author

Copyright

About the Publisher

AGATHA TROY ALLEYN

KATTI BOSTOCK

NIGEL BATHGATE

SIR HENRY ANCRED, Bart

CLAUDE ANCRED, his elder son (absent)

THOMAS ANCRED, his younger son

PAULINE KENTISH, his elder daughter

PAUL KENTISHPATRICIA KENTISH (Panty)

his grandchildren

DESDEMONA ANCRED, his younger daughter

MILLAMANT ANCRED (wife to Henry Irving Ancred, deceased), his daughter-in-law

CEDRIC ANCRED, His heir apparent (Millamant’s son)

THE HON. MRS. CLAUDE ANCRED (Jenetta), his daughter-in-law (wife to Claude Ancred)

FENELLA ANCRED (her daughter)

MISS SONIA ORRINCOURT

MISS CAROLINE ABLE

BARKER, butler at Ancreton Manor

DR. WITHERS, G.P. at Ancreton

MR. JUNIPER, chemist

MR. RATTISBON, solicitor

MR. MORTIMER, of Mortimer & Loame, Undertakers and Embalmers

RODERICK ALLEYN,

Chief Detective-Inspector

DETECTIVE-INSPECTOR FOXDETECTIVE-SERGEANT BAILEY DR. CURTIS, Police Surgeon

of the Criminal Investigation Department, New Scotland Yard.

DETECTIVE-SERGEANT THOMPSON

VILLAGE CONSTABLE

I

‘Considered severally,’ said Troy, coming angrily into the studio, ‘a carbuncle, a month’s furlough and a husband returning from the antipodes don’t sound like the ingredients of a hell-brew. Collectively, they amount to precisely that.’

Katti Bostock stepped heavily back from her easel, screwed up her eyes, and squinting dispassionately at her work said: ‘Why?’

They’ve telephoned from C.1. Rory’s on his way. He’ll probably get here in about three weeks. By which time I shall have returned, cured of my carbuncle, to the girls in the back room.’

‘At least,’ said Miss Bostock, scowling hideously at her work, ‘he won’t have to face the carbuncle. There is that.’

‘It’s on my hip.’

‘I know that, you owl.’

‘Well – but, Katti,’ Troy argued, standing beside her friend, ‘you will allow and must admit, it’s a stinker. You are going it,’ she added, squinting at Miss Bostock’s canvas.

‘You’ll have to move into the London flat a bit earlier, that’s all.’

‘But if only the carbuncle, and Rory and my leave had come together – well, the carbuncle a bit earlier, certainly – we’d have had a fortnight down here together. The A.C. promised us that. Rory’s letters have been full of it. It is tough, Katti, you can’t deny it. And if you so much as look like saying there are worse things in Europe –’

‘All right, all right,’ said Miss Bostock, pacifically. ‘I was only going to point out that it’s reasonably lucky your particular back room and Roderick’s job both happen to be in London. Look for the silver lining, dear,’ she added unkindly. ‘What’s that letter you keep taking in and out of your pocket?’

Troy opened her thin hand and disclosed a crushed sheet of notepaper. ‘That?’ she murmured. ‘Oh, yes, there’s that. You never heard anything so dotty. Read it.’

‘It’s got cadmium red all over it.’

‘I know. I dropped it on my palette. It’s on the back, luckily.’

Miss Bostock spread out the letter on her painting-table, adding several cobalt finger-prints in the process. It was a single sheet of pre-war notepaper, thick, white, with an engraved heading surmounted by a crest – a cross with fluted extremities.

‘Cricky!’ said Miss Bostock. ‘Ancreton Manor. That’s the – Cricky!’ Being one of those people who invariably read letters aloud she began to mutter:

Miss Agatha Troy (Mrs. Roderick Alleyn)

Tatlers End House

Bossicot, Bucks.

Dear Madam,

My father-in-law, Sir Henry Ancred, asks me to write to you in reference to a portrait of himself in the character of Macbeth, for which he would be pleased to engage your services. The picture is to hang in the entrance hall at Ancreton Manor, and will occupy a space six by four feet in dimension. As he is in poor health, he wishes the painting to be done here, and will be pleased if you can arrange to stay with us from Saturday, November 17th, until such time as the portrait is completed. He presumes this will be in about a week. He will be glad to know, by telegram, whether this arrangement will suit you, and also your fee for such a commission.

I am,

Yours faithfully,

MILLAMANT ANCRED.

‘Well,’ said Miss Bostock, ‘of all the cheek!’

Troy grinned. ‘You’ll notice I’m to dodge up a canvas six by four in seven days. I wonder if he expects me to throw in the three witches and the Bloody Child.’

‘Have you answered it?’

‘Not yet,’ Troy mumbled.

‘It was written six days ago,’ scolded Miss Bostock.