Endless Night by Agatha Christie

shouldn’t like it in the least.”
    â€œThen they’ll come to London probably, or some of them will. I don’t know if you’d like that any better.”
    â€œI shouldn’t like any of it. I want to be with you and see our house going up brick by brick as soon as Santonix gets there.”
    â€œSo we can,” said Ellie. “After all, meetings with the family won’t take long. Possibly just one big splendid row would do. Get it over in one. Either we fly over there or they fly over here.”
    â€œI thought you said your stepmother was at Salzburg.”
    â€œOh, I just said that. It sounded odd to say I didn’t know where she was. Yes,” said Ellie with a sigh, “we’ll go home and meet them all. Mike, I hope you won’t mind too much.”
    â€œMind what—your family?”
    â€œYes. You won’t mind if they’re nasty to you.”
    â€œI suppose it’s the price I have to pay for marrying you,” I said. “I’ll bear it.”
    â€œThere’s your mother,” said Ellie thoughtfully.
    â€œFor heaven’s sake, Ellie, you’re not going to try and arrange a meeting between your stepmother in her frills and her furbelows and my mother from her back street. What do you think they’d have to say to each other?”
    â€œIf Cora was my own mother they might have quite a lot to say to each other,” said Ellie. “I wish you wouldn’t be so obsessed with class distinctions, Mike!”
    â€œMe!” I said incredulously. “What’s your American phrase—I come from the wrong side of the tracks, don’t I?”
    â€œYou don’t want to write it on a placard and put it on yourself.”
    â€œI don’t know the right clothes to wear,” I said bitterly. “I don’tknow the right way to talk about things and I don’t know anything really about pictures or art or music. I’m only just learning who to tip and how much to give.”
    â€œDon’t you think, Mike, that that makes it all much more exciting for you? I think so.”
    â€œAnyway,” I said, “you’re not to drag my mother into your family party.”
    â€œI wasn’t proposing to drag anyone into anything, but I think, Mike, I ought to go and see your mother when we go back to England.”
    â€œNo,” I said explosively.
    She looked at me rather startled.
    â€œWhy not, Mike, though? I mean, apart from anything else, I mean it’s just very rude not to. Have you told her you’re married?”
    â€œNot yet.”
    â€œWhy not?”
    I didn’t answer.
    â€œWouldn’t the simplest way be to tell her you’re married and take me to see her when we get back to England?”
    â€œNo,” I said again. It was not so explosive this time but it was still fairly well underlined.
    â€œYou don’t want me to meet her,” said Ellie, slowly.
    I didn’t of course. I suppose it was obvious enough but the last thing I could do was to explain. I didn’t see how I could explain.
    â€œIt wouldn’t be the right thing to do,” I said slowly. “You must see that. I’m sure it would lead to trouble.”
    â€œYou think she wouldn’t like me?”
    â€œNobody could help liking you, but it wouldn’t be—oh I don’t know how to put it. But she might be upset and confused. Afterall, well, I mean I’ve married out of my station. That’s the old-fashioned term. She wouldn’t like that. ”
    Ellie shook her head slowly.
    â€œDoes anybody really think like that nowadays?”
    â€œOf course they do. They do in your country too.”
    â€œYes,” she said, “in a way that’s true but—if anyone makes good there—”
    â€œYou mean if a man makes a lot of money.”
    â€œWell, not only money.”
    â€œYes,” I said, “it’s money. If a man makes a lot of