Free A Christmas Hope by Anne Perry Page B

well, thank you.Many people have already thought of the less fortunate and given. A beautiful part of the true spirit of Christmas, don’t you agree?”
    Eppy’s smile froze. “Of course. And how nice that you are not in the position of having people dread seeing you approach, in case you ask for something they cannot give.”
    “Exactly,” Claudine agreed. “I would hate to embarrass someone who was in … straitened circumstances.”
    Eppy’s smile turned to ice. A few yards from them, a woman in a silk gown whose cost would have fed a family for a year smiled happily and swept past to greet someone.
    Claudine reminded herself why she was here and returned the warmth to her voice.
    “But you are quite right,” she said gently. “This is a time of year for enjoying all the blessings we have and being grateful for them. One can hardly do that with a long face or by thinking only of misfortunes. I do hope Oona Gifford does not feel crushed by that wretched event at her party. Until that moment, which no forethought could have prevented, it was completely delightful.”
    Eppy looked startled but hastily agreed. “I’m sure she will forget it in a while, especially if we do not keepreminding her.” She met Claudine’s eyes. “I imagine that wretched man will be caught sooner or later.”
    “He may have left the country.” Claudine referred back to the remark at the theater. “That could be best for all of us, don’t you think?”
    Eppy thought in silence for a moment.
    “I’m sure Cecil would rather not have to go to court to testify as to exactly what happened,” Claudine went on. “Apart from anything else, when you have an interesting, busy life—as I’m sure he does—it gets harder to remember things as time goes by. There are so many other parties, other occasions.”
    “Yes,” Eppy agreed. “Yes, of course. But I’m sure Cecil would remember. It’s not every day you see some … some madman kill a woman in front of you.” She shivered.
    “Oh dear,” Claudine said with commiseration. “Was that really what happened? Poor Cecil.”
    “Of course it was!” Eppy looked startled at Claudine’s slowness of wits. “Tregarron brought the woman, and then when she refused to do what he wished, he struck her. Right across the face, Cecil said. He was horrified. He said that at first he was too appalled to do anything at all. Then when Tregarron struck her again,even harder, Cecil stepped forward and told him in no uncertain way that if he did it again, then he would be obliged to strike him back.”
    “Thank goodness he was there,” Claudine said warmly. “What did the others do? Surely they were appalled as well?”
    “Oh, yes, of course,” Eppy agreed. “Cecil said Creighton Foxley was absolutely incensed. He tried to drag the wretched man off her, but apparently he had completely lost his head. Of course, he was out of his mind with drink. It took both of them—I mean all three of them—to drag Tregarron off. But by that time the poor girl was unconscious on the ground. Obviously that was all after you spoke with the man. Why did you go out to the terrace, anyway?” She looked at Claudine curiously.
    “I went for a breath of air. It is actually a very pleasant space,” Claudine explained. Nearly the truth. There was no need to say that the conversation had bored her and made her feel hemmed in by trivialities. That would be unnecessarily rude. Perhaps others felt as she did but had better manners than to let it be known.
    “And you were the first one out after the … the tragedy,” Eppy noted. “I expect Cecil was trying to revive her, when you found them.”
    “Actually …,” Claudine began then suddenly changed her mind. “They were all crowded near her when I got there. Poor Cecil, what a distress for him it must’ve been when she did not stir.”
    “Terrible,” Eppy agreed. “I don’t know how you think he could forget it in a few days, or even