Ngaio Marsh - A Surfeit of Lampreys

NGAIO MARSH

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

Harper

An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk

Published by HarperCollins Publishers 2009

Surfeit of Lampreys first published in Great Britain by Collins 1941

Ngaio Marsh asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of these works

Copyright © Ngaio Marsh Ltd 1941

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Source ISBN: 9780006168102

Ebook Edition © OCTOBER 2009 ISBN: 9780007344550

Version: 2016-09-08

For SIR HUGH & LADY ACLAND

with my love

For the one since he has helped me so often with my stories and for the other since she likes stories about London

COVER

TITLE PAGE NGAIO MARSH

COPYRIGHT

DEDICATION

CHARACTERS IN THE STORY

I. PRELUDE IN NEW ZEALAND

II. ARRIVAL IN LONDON

III. PREPARATION FOR A CHARADE

IV. UNCLE G.

V. MIKE PUTS THE POT ON

VI. CATASTROPHE

VII. DEATH OF A PEER

VIII. ALLEYN MEETS THE LAMPREYS

IX. TWO, TWO, THE LILY-WHITE BOYS

X. STATEMENT FROM A SMALL BOY

XI. CONVERSATION PIECE

XII. ACCORDING TO THE WIDOW

XIII. THE SANITY OF LADY WUTHERWOOD

XIV. PERJURY BY ROBERTA

XV. ENTRANCE OF MR BATHGATE

XVI. NIGHT THICKENS

XVII. MR FOX FINDS AN EFFIGY

XVIII. SCENE BY CANDLELIGHT

XIX. SEVERED HAND

XX. PREPARATION FOR POVERTY

KEEP READING

ALSO BY THE AUTHOR

ABOUT THE PUBLISHER

Roberta Grey

Lord Charles Lamprey

Lady Charles Lamprey

Henry Lamprey. Their eldest son

Friede Lamprey (Frid). Their elder daughter

Colin and Stephen Lamprey. Twins. Their second and third sons

Patricia Lamprey (Patch). Their second daughter

Michael Lamprey (Mike). Their youngest son

Mrs Burnaby (Nanny). Their nurse

Baskett. Their butler

Cora Blackburn. Their parlour-maid

A Ship’s Passenger

Stamford. A commissionaire

The Lady Katherine Lobe. Aunt to Lord Charles

Gabriel, Marquis of Wutherwood and Rune (Uncle G.). Elder brother to Lord Charles

Violet, Marchioness of Wutherwood and Rune (Aunt V.). His wife

Giggle. Their chauffeur

Tinkerton. Lady Wutherwood’s maid

Dr Kantripp. The Lampreys’ doctor

Sir Matthew Cairnstock. A brain specialist

Dr Curtis. Police surgeon

Detective-Inspector Fox. Of the Central Branch, Criminal Investigation Department

Chief Detective-Inspector Alleyn. Of the Central Branch, Criminal Investigation Department

Detective-Sergeant Bailey. A finger-print expert

Detective-Sergeant Thompson. A photographic expert

Police-Constable Martin

Police-Constable Gibson

A Police Constable who has read Macbeth

Detective-Sergeant Campbell. On duty at 24 Brummell St

Nigel Bathgate. Watson to Mr Alleyn

Mrs Moffatt. Housekeeper at 24 Brummell Street

Moffatt. Her husband

Mr Rattisbon. Solicitor

A Nurse

Roberta Grey first met the Lampreys in New Zealand. She was at school with Frid Lamprey. All the other Lampreys went to school in England, Henry, the twins, and Michael, to Eton; Patch to an expensive girls’ school near Tonbridge. In the New Zealand days, Patch and Mike were too little for school. They had Nanny and, later on, a governess. But when the time came for Frid to be bundled off to England there was a major financial crisis and she became a boarder at Te Moana Collegiate School for Girls. Long after they had returned to England the family still said that Frid spoke with a New Zealand accent, which was nonsense.

In after years Roberta was to find a pleasant irony in the thought that she owed her friendship with the family to one of those financial crises. It must have been a really bad one because it was at about that time that Lady Charles Lamprey suddenly got rid of all her English servants and bought the washing machine that afterwards, on the afternoon it broke loose from its mooring, so nearly killed Nanny and Patch. Not long after Frid went to board at Te Moana an old aunt of Lord Charles’s died, and the Lampreys were rich again, and all the servants came back, so that on Roberta’s first visit Deepacres seemed very grand indeed. In New Zealand the Lampreys were a remarkable family. Titles are rare in New Zealand and the younger sons of marquises are practically non-existent.

In two years’ time Roberta was to remember with nostalgic vividness, that first visit. It took place during the half-term weekend, when the boarders at Te Moana were allowed to go home. Two days beforehand, Frid asked Roberta if she would spend the half-term at Deepacres. There were long-distance telephone calls between Deepacres and Roberta’s parents.

Frid said: ‘Do come, Robin darling, such fun,’ in a vague, kind voice.