Причуда мертвеца / Dead Man's Folly. Книга для чтения на английском языке

�—not by the magnolia—a bottle-neck—’

�—one wants to disperse things—but if there’s a queue—’

�—much cooler. I mean, with the sun full on the house—’

�—and the coconut shy[35 - coconut shy – игра, традиционная для ярмарок и сельских праздников в Англии, смысл которой сбивать кокосовые орехи с подставок деревянными шарами.] can’t be too near the house—the boys are so wild when they throw—’

�And this,’ said Sir George, �is Miss Brewis—who runs us all.

Miss Brewis was seated behind the large silver tea tray.

She was a spare efficient-looking woman of forty-odd, with a brisk pleasant manner.

�How do you do, M. Poirot,’ she said. �I do hope you didn’t have too crowded a journey? The trains are sometimes too terrible this time of year. Let me give you some tea. Milk? Sugar?’

�Very little milk, mademoiselle[36 - mademoiselle – мадемуазель; незамужняя француженка (или другая иностранка)], and four lumps of sugar.

�Yes, indeed. There are always so many last-minute things to see to. And people let one down in the most extra ordinary way nowadays. Over marquees, and tents and chairs and catering equipment. One has to keep on at them.

�What about these pegs, Amanda?’ said Sir George. �And the extra putters for the clock golf?’

�That’s all arranged, Sir George. Mr Benson at the golf club was most kind.’

She handed Poirot his cup.

�A sandwich, M. Poirot? Those are tomato and these are paté[37 - paté – (исп.) паштет]. But perhaps,’ said Miss Brewis, thinking of the four lumps of sugar, �you would rather have a cream cake?’

Poirot would rather have a cream cake, and helped himself to a particularly sweet and squelchy one.

Then, balancing it carefully on his saucer, he went and sat down by his hostess. She was still letting the light play over the jewel on her hand, and she looked up at him with a pleased child’s smile.

�Look,’ she said. �It’s pretty, isn’t it?’

He had been studying her carefully. She was wearing a big coolie-style hat of vivid magenta straw.