Chapter 14.

"Oh, there you are, Lynn." Adela's voice was brisk and relieved. "I didn't hear you come in, darling. Have you been in long?" didn't hear you come in, darling. Have you been in long?"

"Oh, yes, ages. I was upstairs."

"I wish you'd tell me when you come in, Lynn. I'm always nervous when you're out alone after dark." you're out alone after dark."

"Really, Mums, don't you think I can look after myself?"

"Well, there have been dreadful things in the papers lately. All these discharged soldiers - they attack girls." discharged soldiers - they attack girls."

"I expect the girls ask for it."

She smiled - rather a twisted smile. Yes, girls did ask for danger... Who, after all, really wanted to be safe...? Who, after all, really wanted to be safe...?

"Lynn, darling, are you listening?"

Lynn brought her mind back with a jerk.

Her mother had been talking.

"What did you say, Mums?"

"I was talking about your bridesmaids, dear. I suppose they'll be able to produce the coupons all right. It's very lucky for you having all your to produce the coupons all right. It's very lucky for you having all your demob ones. I'm really terribly sorry for girls who get married demob ones. I'm really terribly sorry for girls who get married nowadays on just their ordinary coupons. I mean they just can't have nowadays on just their ordinary coupons. I mean they just can't have anything new at all. Not outside, I mean. What with the state all one's anything new at all. Not outside, I mean. What with the state all one's undies are in nowadays one just has to go for them. Yes, Lynn, you undies are in nowadays one just has to go for them. Yes, Lynn, you really are lucky." really are lucky."

"Oh, very lucky."

She was walking round the room - prowling, picking up things, putting them down. them down.

"Must you be so terribly restless, dear? You make me feel quite jumpy!" jumpy!"

"Sorry, Mums."

"There's nothing the matter, is there?"

"What should be the matter?" asked Lynn sharply.

"Well, don't jump down my throat, darling. Now about bridesmaids. I really think you ought to ask the Macrae girl. Her mother was my really think you ought to ask the Macrae girl. Her mother was my closest friend, remember, and I do think she'll be hurt if -" closest friend, remember, and I do think she'll be hurt if -"

"I loathe Joan Macrae and always have."

"I know, darling, but does that really matter? Marjorie will, I'm sure, feel hurt -" feel hurt -"

"Really, Mums, it's my wedding, isn't it?"

"Yes, I know, Lynn, but -"

"If there is a wedding at all!"

She hadn't meant to say that. The words slipped out without her having planned them. She would have caught them back, but it was too late. planned them. She would have caught them back, but it was too late. Mrs Marchmont was staring at her daughter in alarm. Mrs Marchmont was staring at her daughter in alarm.

"Lynn, darling, what do you mean?"

"Oh, nothing, Mums."

"You and Rowley haven't quarrelled?"

"No, of course not. Don't fuss, Mums, everything's all right."

But Adela was looking at her daughter in real alarm, sensitive to the turmoil behind Lynn's frowning exterior. turmoil behind Lynn's frowning exterior.

"I've always felt you'd be so safe married to Rowley," she said piteously. piteously.

"Who wants to be safe?" Lynn asked scornfully. She turned sharply.

"Was that the telephone?"

"No. Why? Are you expecting a call?"

Lynn shook her head. Humiliating to be waiting for the telephone to ring. ring.

He had said he would ring her tonight. He must.

"You're mad," she told herself. "Mad."

Why did this man attract her so? The memory of his dark unhappy face rose up before her eyes. She tried to banish it, tried to replace it by rose up before her eyes. She tried to banish it, tried to replace it by Rowley's broad good-looking countenance. His slow smile, his Rowley's broad good-looking countenance. His slow smile, his affectionate glance. But did Rowley, she thought, really care about affectionate glance. But did Rowley, she thought, really care about her? Surely if he'd really cared, he'd have understood that day when her? Surely if he'd really cared, he'd have understood that day when she came to him and begged for five hundred pounds. He'd have she came to him and begged for five hundred pounds. He'd have understood instead of being so maddeningly reasonable and matter- understood instead of being so maddeningly reasonable and matter- of-fact. of-fact.

Marry Rowley, live on the farm, never go away again, never see foreign skies, smell exotic smells - never again be free... skies, smell exotic smells - never again be free...

Sharply the telephone rang. Lynn took a deep breath, walked across the hall and picked up the receiver. the hall and picked up the receiver.

With the shock of a blow, Aunt Kathie's voice came thinly through the wire. wire.

"Lynn? Is that you? Oh, I'm so glad. I'm afraid, you know, I've made rather a muddle - about the meeting at the Inst.i.tute -" rather a muddle - about the meeting at the Inst.i.tute -"

The thin fluttering voice went on. Lynn listened, interpolated comments, uttered rea.s.surances, received thanks. comments, uttered rea.s.surances, received thanks.

"Such a comfort, dear Lynn, you are always so kind and so practical. I really can't imagine how I get things so muddled up." really can't imagine how I get things so muddled up."

Lynn couldn't imagine either. Aunt Kathie's capacity for muddling the simplest issues amounted practically to genius. simplest issues amounted practically to genius.

"But I always do say," finished Aunt Kathie, "that everything goes wrong at once. Our telephone is out of order and I've had to go out to a wrong at once. Our telephone is out of order and I've had to go out to a call-box, and now I'm here I hadn't got twopence, only halfpennies - call-box, and now I'm here I hadn't got twopence, only halfpennies - and I had to go and ask -" and I had to go and ask -"

It petered out at last. Lynn hung up and went back to the drawing- room. room.

Adela Marchmont, alert, asked: "Was that -" and paused.

Lynn said quickly: "Aunt Kathie."

"What did she want?"

"Oh, just one of her usual muddles."

Lynn sat down again with a book, glancing up at the clock. Yes - it had been too early. She couldn't expect her call yet. been too early. She couldn't expect her call yet.

At five minutes past eleven the telephone rang again. She went slowly out to it. out to it.

This time she wouldn't expect - it was probably Aunt Kathie again...

But no. "Warmsley Vale 34? Can Miss Lynn Marchmont take a personal call from London?" call from London?"

Her heart missed a beat.

"This is Miss Lynn Marchmont speaking."

"Hold on, please."

She waited - confused noises - then silence. The telephone service was getting worse and worse. She waited. Finally she depressed the was getting worse and worse. She waited. Finally she depressed the receiver angrily. Another woman's voice, indifferent, cold, spoke, was receiver angrily. Another woman's voice, indifferent, cold, spoke, was uninterested. "Hang up, please. You'll be called later." uninterested. "Hang up, please. You'll be called later."

She hung up, went back towards the drawing-room, the bell rang again as she had her hand on the door. She hurried back to the telephone. as she had her hand on the door. She hurried back to the telephone.

"Hallo?"

A man's voice said: "Warmsley Vale 34? Personal call from London for Miss Lynn Marchmont." Miss Lynn Marchmont."

"Speaking."

"Just a minute please." Then, faintly, "Speak up, London, you're through..." through..."

And then, suddenly, David's voice: "Lynn, is that you?"

"David!"

"I had to speak to you."

"Yes..."

"Look here, Lynn, I think I'd better clear out -"

"What do you mean?"

"Clear out of England altogether. Oh, it's easy enough. I've pretended it wasn't to Rosaleen - simply because I didn't want to leave Warmsley it wasn't to Rosaleen - simply because I didn't want to leave Warmsley Vale. But what's the good of it all? You and I - it wouldn't work. You're a Vale. But what's the good of it all? You and I - it wouldn't work. You're a fine girl, Lynn - and as for me, I'm a bit of a crook, always have been. fine girl, Lynn - and as for me, I'm a bit of a crook, always have been. And don't flatter yourself that I'd go straight for your sake. I might And don't flatter yourself that I'd go straight for your sake. I might mean to - but it wouldn't work. No, you'd better marry the plodding mean to - but it wouldn't work. No, you'd better marry the plodding Rowley. He'll never give you a day's anxiety as long as you live. I Rowley. He'll never give you a day's anxiety as long as you live. I should give you h.e.l.l." should give you h.e.l.l."

She stood there, holding the receiver, saying nothing.

"Lynn, are you still there?"

"Yes, I'm here."

"You didn't say anything."

"What is there to say?"

"Lynn?"

"Well...?"

Strange how clearly she could feel over all that distance, his excitement, the urgency of his mood... excitement, the urgency of his mood...

He cursed softly, said explosively, "Oh, to h.e.l.l with everything!" and rang off. rang off.

Mrs Marchmont coming out of the drawing-room, said, "Was that -?"

"A wrong number," said Lynn and went quickly up the stairs.

Chapter 15.

It was the custom at the Stag for guests to be called at whatever hour they named by the simple process of a loud bang on the door and the they named by the simple process of a loud bang on the door and the shouted information that it was "Eight-thirty, sir," or "Eight o'clock" shouted information that it was "Eight-thirty, sir," or "Eight o'clock" whatever the case might be. Early tea was produced if expressly whatever the case might be. Early tea was produced if expressly stipulated for, and was deposited with a rattle of crockery on the mat stipulated for, and was deposited with a rattle of crockery on the mat outside the door. outside the door.

On this particular Wednesday morning, young Gladys went through the usual formula outside No. 5, yelling out, "Eight-fifteen, sir," and the usual formula outside No. 5, yelling out, "Eight-fifteen, sir," and crashing down the tray with a bang that slopped the milk out of the jug. crashing down the tray with a bang that slopped the milk out of the jug. She then went on her way, calling more people and proceeding to her She then went on her way, calling more people and proceeding to her other duties. other duties.

It was ten o'clock before she took in the fact that No. "s tea was still on the mat. the mat.

She beat a few heavy raps on the door, got no reply and thereupon walked in. No. 5 was not the kind of gentleman who overslept himself, walked in. No. 5 was not the kind of gentleman who overslept himself, and she had just remembered that there was a convenient flat roof and she had just remembered that there was a convenient flat roof outside the window. It was just possible, thought Gladys, that No. 5 outside the window. It was just possible, thought Gladys, that No. 5 had done a bunk without paying his bill.

But the man registered as Enoch Arden had not done a bunk. He was lying on his face in the middle of the room and without any knowledge lying on his face in the middle of the room and without any knowledge of medicine, Gladys had no doubt whatever that he was dead. of medicine, Gladys had no doubt whatever that he was dead.

Gladys threw back her head and screamed, then rushed out of the room and down the stairs, still screaming. room and down the stairs, still screaming.

"Ow, Miss Lippincott - Miss Lippincott - ow -"

Beatrice Lippincott was in her private room having a cut hand bandaged by Dr Lionel Cloade - the latter dropped the bandage and bandaged by Dr Lionel Cloade - the latter dropped the bandage and turned irritably as the girl burst in. turned irritably as the girl burst in.

"Ow - ow!"

The doctor snapped: "What is it? What is it?"

"What's the matter, Gladys?" asked Beatrice.