England -- Fiction; Man-woman relationships -- Fiction; Mothers and daughters -- Fiction; Paris (France) -- Fiction; Women -- Fiction
She tried to think logically. Had he been pursuing the motor-car all the
way from Birmingham? Obviously he had not, since according to Aguilar he
had been in the vicinity of Moze since the previous morning. Hence he did
not know that Audrey was involved in the Blue City affair, and he did not
know that Jane Foley was at Frinton. How he had learnt that Audrey belonged
to Moze, and why and what he had come to investigate at Moze, she could not
guess. Nor did these problems appear to her to have an importance at all
equal to the importance of hiding from the detective that she had been
staying at Frinton. If he followed her to Frinton he would inevitably
discover that Jane Foley was at Frinton, and the sequel would be more
imprisonment for Jane. Therefore Audrey must not return to Frinton. Having
by a masterly process of ratiocination reached this conclusion, she began
to think rather better of herself, and ceased blushing.
"Aguilar," she demanded excitedly, having gone back through the plantation.
"Did Miss Ingate happen to say where I was staying last night?"
"No, madam."
"I must run into the house and write a note to her, and you must take it
down instantly." In her mind she framed the note, which was to condemn Miss
Ingate to the torture of complete and everlasting silence about the episode
at the Blue City and the flight eastwards.
CHAPTER XXIX
FLIGHT
"Fast, madam, did you say?" asked the chauffeur, bending his head back from
the wheel as the car left the gates of Flank Hall.
"Fast."
"The Colchester road?"
"Yes."
"It's really just as quick to take the Frinton road for Colchester--it's so
much straighter."
"No, no, no! On no account. Don't go near Frinton."
Audrey leaned back in the car. And as speed increased the magnificence of
the morning again had its effect on her. The adventure pleased her far more
than the perils of it, either for herself or for other people, frightened
her. She knew that she was doing a very strange thing in thus leaving the
Spatts and her luggage without a word of explanation before breakfast; but
she did not care. She knew that for some reason which she did not
comprehend the police were after her, as they had been after nearly all the
great ones of the movement; but she did not care. She was alive in the
rushing car amid the magnificence of the morning. Musa sat next to her. She
had more or less incompletely explained the situation to him--it was not
necessary to tell everything to a boy who depended upon you absolutely for
his highest welfare--such boys must accept, thankfully, what they received.
And Musa had indeed done so. He appeared to be quite happy and without
anxieties. That was the worst He had wanted to be with her, and he was with
her, and he cared for nothing else. He had no interest in what might happen
next. He yielded himself utterly to the enjoyment of her presence and of the
magnificent morning.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account