"Are you suggesting that if there had been a young man in Ruby Keene's life, my friend's attitude toward her might have altered?"
"It probably would, you know.
I dare say in a year or two he might have liked to arrange for her marriage himself though more likely he wouldn't.
Gentlemen are usually rather selfish.
But I certainly think that if Ruby Keene had had a young man she'd have been careful to keep very quiet about it."
"And the young man might have resented that?"
"I suppose that is the most plausible solution.
It struck me, you know, that her cousin, the young woman who was at Gossington this morning, looked definitely angry with the dead girl.
What you've told me explains why.
No doubt she was looking forward to doing very well out of the business."
"Rather a cold-blooded character, in fact?"
"That's too harsh a judgment, perhaps.
The poor thing has had to earn her living, and you can't expect her to sentimentalize because a well-to-do man and woman as you have described Mr Gaskell and Mrs Jefferson are going to be done out of a further large sum of money to which they have really no particular moral right.
I should say Miss Turner was a hard-headed, ambitious young woman with a good temper and considerable joie de vivre. A little," added Miss Marple, "like Jessie Golden, the baker's daughter." "What happened to her?" asked Sir Henry. "She trained as a nursery governess and married the son of the house, who was home on leave from India. Made him a very good wife, I believe." Sir Henry pulled himself clear of these fascinating side issues.
He said,
"Is there any reason, do you think, why my friend Conway Jefferson should suddenly have developed this 'Cophetua complex,' if you like to call it that?" "There might have been." "In what way?"
Miss Marple said, hesitating a little, "I should think it's only a suggestion, of course that perhaps his son-in-law and daughter-in-law might have wanted to get married again."
"Surely he couldn't have objected to that?"
"Oh, no, not objected.
But, you see, you must look at it from his point of view. He has a terrible shock and loss; so have they.
The three bereaved people live together and the link between them is the loss they have all sustained.
But Time, as my dear mother used to say, is a great healer.
Mr Gaskell and Mrs Jefferson are young. Without knowing it themselves, they may have begun to feel restless, to resent the bonds that tied them to their past sorrow.
And so, feeling like that, old Mr Jefferson would have become conscious of a sudden lack of sympathy without knowing its cause. It's usually that. Gentlemen so easily feel neglected. With Mr Harbottle it was Miss Harbottle going away. And with the Badgers it was Mrs Badger taking such an interest in spiritualism and always going out to seances."
"I must say," said Sir Henry ruefully, "that I do dislike the way you reduce us all to a general common denominator."
Miss Marple shook her head sadly.
"Human nature is very much the same anywhere, Sir Henry."
Sir Henry said distastefully,
"Mr Harbottle! Mr Badger! And poor Conway!
I hate to intrude the personal note, but have you any parallel for my humble self in your village?"
"Well, of course, there is Briggs."
"Who's Briggs?"
"He was the head gardener up at Old Hall.
Quite the best man they ever had.
Knew exactly when the under-gardeners were slacking off, quite uncanny it was! He managed with only three men and a boy, and the place was kept better than it had been with six.
And took several Firsts with his sweet peas.
He's retired now."
"Like me," said Sir Henry.
"But he still does a little jobbing, if he likes the people."
"Ah," said Sir Henry. "Again like me. That's what I'm doing now. Jobbing.
To help an old friend."
"Two old friends."
"Two?" Sir Henry looked a little puzzled.
Miss Marple said,
"I suppose you meant Mr Jefferson. But I wasn't thinking of him.
I was thinking of Colonel and Mrs Bantry."
"Yes, yes, I see."
He asked sharply, "Was that why you alluded to Dolly Bantry as 'poor dear' at the beginning of our conversation?"
"Yes.
She hasn't begun to realize things yet. I know, because I've had more experience.