Light A Penny Candle (80 page)

The coroner was now ready, everything on his desk was to his satisfaction. He was ready to hear the evidence. …

Evidence was given by the police, by the ambulance men, by the porter. Everyone spoke in flat, measured tones about what had happened, and what times it had happened. Only Harry Elton and Simon Burke were called to speak. Harry Elton, stepfather of Mrs Mason … guest in the house. Heard absolutely nothing until the huge knocking on the door and the porter and the terrible news. Poor Elizabeth shattered. Dreadful tragedy … happy family life. …

Simon had left him in an intoxicated condition at the corner of Great Portland Street and Mortimer Street. No,
he
hadn’t said where he was going to go. Simon Burke had advised him to get a taxi home, and he had said he would do that. No, Simon Burke had no idea where he might have gone after that.

Nobody called Aisling O’Connor, friend of Mrs Mason, to give any evidence.

Nobody asked Johnny Stone, friend and colleague of Mrs Mason, to describe the telephone call. Because no mention of a visit or a telephone call had ever been made.

So they sat in the coroner’s court and said nothing until the verdict of misadventure and accidental death by falling down an internal staircase, after excessive alcoholic consumption, was recorded by the coroner.

And then they all came out into the sun.

This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

Version 1.0

Epub ISBN 9781409049203

www.randomhouse.co.uk

Published in the United Kingdom by Arrow Books in 2006

1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2

Copyright © Maeve Binchy, 1982

Maeve Binchy has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

This novel is a work of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

This ebook is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

First published in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Century

Arrow Books
The Random House Group Limited Limited
20 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London, SW1V 2SA

Random House Australia (Pty) Limited
20 Alfred Street, Milsons Point, Sydney,
New South Wales 2061, Australia

Random House New Zealand Limited
18 Poland Road, Glenfield
Auckland 10, New Zealand

Random House (Pty) Limited
Isle of Houghton, Corner of Boundary Road & Carse O’Gowrie
Houghton 2198, South Africa

Random House UK Group Limited Reg. No. 954009

www.randomhouse.co.uk

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 9780099498575