And Then There Were None – Agatha Christie
That was mostly untrue. But the house had certainly been built by a millionaire and was said to be absolutely the last word in luxury. Vera Claythorne, tired by a recent strenuous term at school, thought to
herself-”Being a games mistress in a third-class school isn’t much of a catch. school.” And then, with a cold feeling round her heart, she thought: “But I’m lucky
to have even this. After all, people don’t like a Coroner’s Inquest, even if the Coroner did acquit me of all blame!”
He had even complimented her on her presence of mind and courage, she remembered. For an inquest it couldn’t have gone better. And Mrs. Hamilton
had been kindness itself to her- Only Hugo(but she wouldn’t think of Hugo!)
Suddenly, in spite of the heat in the carriage she shivered and wished she wasn’t going to the sea. A picture rose clearly before her mind. Cyril’s
head, bobbing up and down, swimming to the rock. . . . Up and down-up and down. . . . And herself, swimming in easy practised strokes after him-
cleaving her way through the water but knowing, only too surely, that she wouldn’t be in time. . . . The sea-its deep warm blue-mornings spent lying
out on the sands-Hugo-Hugo who had said he loved her. She must not think of Hugo. . . . She opened her eyes and frowned across at the man opposite her. A tall man
with a brown face, light eyes set rather close together and an arrogant almost cruel mouth. She thought to herself: “I bet he’s been to some interesting parts of the world and seen some
interesting things. . . .”
If only I could get a job at some decent Philip Lombard, summing up the girl opposite in a mere flash of his quick moving eyes thought to himself:
“Quite attractive-a bit schoolmistressy perhaps. A cool customer, he should imagine-and one who could hold her own-in love or war. He’d rather like to take her on. . . .
He frowned. No, cut out all that kind of stuff. This was business. He’d got to keep his mind on the job…