The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding

‘Oh, bilge! You know you don't enjoy this childish sentimental bosh.’

‘Well, not really perhaps, but —’ Sarah broke off. She realized with a feeling of guilt that she was looking forward a good deal to the Christmas celebration. She enjoyed the whole thing, but she was ashamed to admit that to Desmond. It was not the thing to enjoy Christmas and family life. Just for a moment she wished that Desmond had not come down here at Christmas time. In fact, she almost wished that Desmond had not come down here at all. It was much more fun seeing Desmond in London than here at home.

In the meantime the boys and Bridget were walking back from the lake, still discussing earnestly the problems of skating. Flecks of snow had been falling, and looking up at the sky it could be prophesied that before long there was going to be a heavy snowfall.

‘It's going to snow all night,’ said Colin. ‘Bet you by Christmas morning we have a couple of feet of snow.’

The prospect was a pleasurable one.

‘Let's make a snowman,’ said Michael.

‘Good lord,’ said Colin. ‘I haven't made a snowman since — well, since I was about four years old.’

‘I don't believe it's a bit easy to do,’ said Bridget. ‘I mean, you have to know how.’

‘We might make an effigy of M. Poirot,’ said Colin. ‘Give it a big black moustache. There is one in the dressing-up box.’

‘I don't see, you know,’ said Michael thoughtfully, ‘how M. Poirot could ever have been a detective. I don't see how he'd ever be able to disguise himself.’

‘I know,’ said Bridget, ‘and one can't imagine him running about with a microscope and looking for clues or measuring footprints.’

‘I've got an idea,’ said Colin. ‘Let's put on a show for him!’

‘What do you mean, a show?’ asked Bridget.

‘Well, arrange a murder for him.’

‘What a gorgeous idea,’ said Bridget. ‘Do you mean a body in the snow — that sort of thing?’

‘Yes. It would make him feel at home, wouldn't it?’

Bridget giggled.

‘I don't know that I'd go as far as that.’

‘If it snows,’ said Colin, ‘we'll have the perfect setting. A body and footprints — we'll have to think that out rather carefully and pinch one of Grandfather's daggers and make some blood.’

They came to a halt and oblivious to the rapidly falling snow, entered into an excited discussion.

‘There's a paintbox in the old schoolroom. We could mix up some blood — crimson-lake, I should think.’

‘Crimson-lake's a bit too pink, I think,’ said Bridget. ‘It ought to be a bit browner.’

‘Who's going to be the body?’ asked Michael.

‘I'll be the body,’ said Bridget quickly.

‘Oh, look here,’ said Colin, ‘I thought of it.’

‘Oh, no, no,’ said Bridget, ‘it must be me. It's got to be a girl. It's more exciting. Beautiful girl lying lifeless in the snow.’

‘Beautiful girl! Ah-ha,’ said Michael in derision.

‘I've got black hair, too,’ said Bridget.

‘What's that got to do with it?’

‘Well, it'll show up so well on the snow and I shall wear my red pyjamas.’

‘If you wear red pyjamas, they won't show the bloodstains,’ said Michael in a practical manner.

‘But they'd look so effective against the snow,’ said Bridget, ‘and they've got white facings, you know, so the blood could be on that. Oh, won't it be gorgeous? Do you think he will really be taken in?’

‘He will if we do it well enough,’ said Michael. ‘We'll have just your footprints in the snow and one other person's going to the body and coming away from it — a man's, of course. He won't want to disturb them, so he won't know that you're not really dead. You don't think,’ Michael stopped, struck by a sudden idea. The others looked at him. ‘You don't think he'll be annoyed about it?’

‘Oh, I shouldn't think so,’ said Bridget, with facile optimism. ‘I'm sure he'll understand that we've just done it to entertain him. A sort of Christmas treat.’

‘I don't think we ought to do it on Christmas Day,’ said Colin reflectively. ‘I don't think Grandfather would like that very much.’

‘Boxing Day then,’ said Bridget.

‘Boxing Day would be just right,’ said Michael.

‘And it'll give us more time, too,’ pursued Bridget. ‘After all, there are a lot of things to arrange. Let's go and have a look at all the props.’

They hurried into the house.

III

The evening was a busy one. Holly and mistletoe had been brought in in large quantities and a Christmas tree had been set up at one end of the dining-room. Everyone helped to decorate it, to put up the branches of holly behind pictures and to hang mistletoe in a convenient position in the hall.

‘I had no idea anything so archaic still went on,’ murmured Desmond to Sarah with a sneer.

‘We've always done it,’ said Sarah, defensively.

‘What a reason!’

‘Oh, don't be tiresome, Desmond. I think it's fun.’

‘Sarah my sweet, you can't!’

‘Well, not — not really perhaps but — I do in a way.’

‘Who's going to brave the snow and go to midnight mass?’ asked Mrs Lacey at twenty minutes to twelve.

‘Not me,’ said Desmond. ‘Come on, Sarah.’

With a hand on her arm he guided her into the library and went over to the record case.

‘There are limits, darling,’ said Desmond. ‘Midnight mass!’