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He noted her reaction. She knew A
‘A
‘Oh, you do know her?’
‘I know A
All at once she was a little frightened. She remembered Janet, and what Janet would say about talking to a strange man whom she had met in the street. She coloured suddenly and vividly.
‘I-I don’t think I ought to go on talking about her. I-I don’t think she’d like it.’
‘Perhaps she wouldn’t. But then again, perhaps she would. I’ve been looking for her for a long time. Perhaps she’ll be very pleased to be found.’
‘Do you think she would?’
‘She might be. One can but try. Only-’ he hesitated. ‘Will you do something to help me?’
‘If I can.’
‘Well, don’t tell her you’ve seen me. I’d like it to be a surprise. The fact is we quarrelled, and if you say you’ve met me, she’ll go all hard and stiff and say she won’t see me. You know how girls are. If she wasn’t expecting me it would be different. She wouldn’t have time to remember our quarrel or to stiffen herself up against me. You know how it is?’
Lizabet nodded. She knew just how it was. She felt wise and benevolent. She would bring A
Ross Cranston considered. He said, ‘Wait a minute-’ And then, ‘Could you-do you think you could get her to come out of the house to post a letter or something of that kind?’
‘Oh, yes, I think I could. I could try.’
‘You see, if I came to the house, she might say she wouldn’t see me. I can’t risk that. But if she goes out to post a letter and I come up just as she’s got to the pillar-box, it would give me a chance, wouldn’t it? You see, I must know whether she’s married or not. If she is, I’ll go away, but if she isn’t-’
‘Oh, yes!’
Lizabet’s eyes were dancing. This was a lovely plan. She would be rid of A
It wasn’t really as difficult as it might have been. She got home, and then she sat down and wrote a letter. It didn’t really matter to whom. Na
The first thing to do was to let Janet go off to bed, and fortunately Janet was more than ready for bed. After that she played about with her letter, pretending to hide it until she thought that A
‘That’s pretty stuff. You sew nicely’
A
‘Do I?’
‘Mmm-you do. I say, you wouldn’t like to come out with me to the post, would you? Janet doesn’t like my going by myself so late as this.’
A
‘Yes, I’ll come, of course. It’s time we went to bed anyhow.’
It had been too easy. Lizabet felt all puffed up and pleased.
She said in a whisper. ‘I don’t want Janet to know. She’s a fuss. And she can’t say anything really-not if we’re together, can she? Do you want a coat?’
‘Well, perhaps. I expect it’s cold outside.’
‘I don’t want one-I’ll be perfectly warm. But I’ll get yours.’
She was out of the door like a streak, up the stairs, and down again with A
She opened the front door and felt the keen edge of the night’s wind. It had turned much colder. As they came out on the steps, the clock of St James and St Mary in the next street began to strike eleven. Lizabet giggled and swung round.
‘Oh, I’d forgotten,’ she said. ‘Don’t wait for me.’
‘What have you forgotten?’ A
‘My other letter. Go on-I’ll catch you up.’
‘Oh, I’ll wait.’
‘No-no-don’t. Don’t wait. Go on.’ The last syllable died away.
A
‘She’s off,’ said the man who had come from behind the car.
CHAPTER 42
Lizabet stood half-way to the corner and caught her breath to listen. There was no sound. There was no sound at all. She saw three figures together on the pavement, and then there weren’t any figures. It was as sudden and as quick as that. There was no cry, no struggle. One minute there was A
Bewilderingly there swept over her a sense of irretrievable loss. What had she done? And quick on that something that resisted. She hadn’t done anything-nothing at all. If A
She went slowly up the stairs and heard Janet call from the bathroom.
‘Is that you, A
‘No, it’s me. A
‘No-not really-it will do in the morning.’
She went on up the flight of stairs which led to her bedroom and A
She locked the door and sat down on the bed in the dark.
She didn’t want the light. And then after a few minutes she did want it and she got up and turned it on. She undressed, put the light out, and got into bed. But she couldn’t sleep. Her thoughts were racing. She had been very clever, very clever indeed. There was nothing to feel uncomfortable about. What had she done?
What had she done? ‘I haven’t done anything.’ A
‘It was the basest betrayal in the world.’
Lizabet started on her elbow. Who had said that? Someone had said it. She was in her own room, locked in. She had been comfortable and nearly asleep, and someone had said that.