‘Get rheumatism, silly little fatheads,’ said Miss Topas. ‘Most of ’em have got nothing on under those frocks except a pair of panties and a bust bodice.’
At ten the Twilight Waltz was announced, and Jonathan and Deborah danced it together. The lights were lowered gradually until only the two over the dais and the one over the door were left shining. By the time the hall was fully lighted again, Miss Crossley had begun to carry out her share of the arrangements by giving her partner, a student named Pettinger, the excuse that she must tidy her hair. She then hurried out. As soon as he saw her go, Jonathan went after her, and scarcely had he caught up with her outside the Education Room, which was next to the Staff Cloakroom, when Mrs Bradley joined them.
‘Did you manage it?’ she asked. The two stopped short.
‘No, I didn’t,’ confessed Jonathan. ‘I marked her position in the hall very carefully when the dance began, then, as the lights were lowered, I pushed along to where I supposed she would be, but by that time the hall was almost in darkness and I don’t believe I could have found even Deborah to pull her hair, much less a lady whom I met for the first time on Wednesday.’
‘Splendid,’ said Mrs Bradley.
‘I mean,’ pursued her nephew, ‘one can scarcely make the round of a dance floor pulling people’s hair at random.’
‘Quite,’ said his aunt, who seemed subtly pleased about something. ‘Well, carry on.’
Jonathan offered Miss Crossley his arm, and they proceeded to the outer door.
‘Now,’ he said, ‘we’ve got to get to Athelstan without being spotted. I say, it’s plaguey dark. And — er — hadn’t you better have a coat?’
‘I have my silk scarf. Poor Miss Murchan wouldn’t have had more on a summer night, I imagine,’ replied Miss Crossley.
‘This way, I think.’
They followed, stumbling, the gravel path which led past the grass tennis court to the steps beside the rockery which fronted BedeHall.
‘Left now,’ said Miss Crossley. She led the way at this point, and mounted to the front door of Athelstan, where she inserted Mrs Bradley’s latch-key in the door. The door swung open. They closed it as quietly as they could and waited outside.
‘We have to count forty,’ said Miss Crossley. Long before forty was up, however, a quick step in the hall, and the gleam of a light informed them that one of the maids was at home.
‘Who dar?’ asked Lulu’s voice, as she came to meet them.
‘Mrs Bradley wants a clean handkerchief, please,’ said Miss Crossley. ‘Aren’t you at the dance?’
‘Oh, no, mam,’ replied the maid, ‘Ephraim don’t like it.’
‘Well, that’s that,’ said Jonathan. ‘I don’t see how we could have shut the door more quietly, but, you see, she heard us all right. Aunt Adela said her hearing was abnormal.’
‘Well, if we couldn’t sneak in by the front door, we certainly couldn’t at the back,’ said Miss Crossley, who seemed to have shed her nervousness, and was enjoying herself. Jonathan agreed.
‘Now I’m to escort you back to the dance floor,’ he said, ‘and I do hope you’re not booked for the next one, whatever it turns out to be, because I think we ought to dance it together.’
‘I’m not booked up really after the Twilight Waltz at all,’ Miss Crossley confessed, ‘because I didn’t know when I should be able to return, and I didn’t want to disappoint anybody of their dance, or, of course, to excite suspicion by being noticeably absent. Your aunt pointed out that it was essential to arouse no suspicion.’
‘Quite,’ Jonathan agreed; and they went back to the revels. He watched the clock, however, and at twenty-five minutes to eleven he went into the corridor, rather obviously displaying his cigarette-case and lighter. Scarcely had he reached the door of the room where the pottery oven was housed, when there was the sound of flying footsteps and Deborah came running up to him.
‘You’re to come back with me,’ she said. ‘I don’t want you to do any more snooping about in the dark! It’s dangerous!’
Jonathan held both her hands and looked at her gravely.
‘Listen, Deb. There’s no danger. And you can’t come out in that frock. But I’ve got a little job to do. It’s nothing much. You go back, and in about ten minutes I’ll be there. You have saved me the last dance, haven’t you?’
‘If you’re going across the grounds again, I’m coming with you,’ said Deborah.
‘All right. But run and get a wrap, there’s a good girl. It’s cold. Bring my silk scarf if you can see it, as well, will you?’
He waited until she had reached the opposite end of the corridor, then he went into the adjoining room and changed his coat for a lounge jacket which he buttoned closely, turning up the collar. Then he went noiselessly down the steps and walked briskly along the path towards Athelstan. But, instead of going up to the front door this time, he walked along until he came to the covered way connecting the Hall with the bakehouse next door to it on the west.
He crouched down and strained his ears. After a short time he heard an owl hoot twice. He gave a low whistle. The owl hooted again, but only once this time.
Chapter l8
IDDY UMPTY IDDY UMPTY IDDY
« ^ »
Deborah came back with a wrap and with Jonathan’s scarf and looked out into the blackness of the grounds. She did not dare to call out, for she knew that the reason he had come was to assist his aunt in her machinations against murderers, and she supposed that he was in process of carrying out instructions.
She had no intention, however, of allowing him to get rid of her at what was, presumably, a moment of danger, and was about to step out into the inky pall which clothed the College demesne when Miss Topas, followed by Laura and Alice, came up.
‘What’s up, Deborah? Come out for a breath of air?’ inquired Miss Topas.
‘No. I’m looking for Jonathan. The wretch sent me back for some wraps and now he’s taken the chance to disappear.’
‘Out there?’
‘Yes, I think so. You didn’t see him just now inside the hall, I suppose?’
‘No. Well, come on in. It’s cold out here, and the senior student is about to propose a vote of thanks to Mrs Bradley before the proceedings terminate. Where is Mrs Bradley, by the way?’
‘I don’t know. With Jonathan, I should think. At any rate, I’m going over to Athelstan. That’s where he was going, I’m fairly certain,’ said Deborah. Miss Topas laid a restraining hand on her arm.
‘You can’t go chasing about in the grounds while a vote of thanks is being passed,’ she pointed out. ‘Besides, you may queer the pitch. There’s a peculiar do on tonight’
‘Well, when I do find him I’m going to tell him what I think of his manners,’ said Deborah crossly.
‘Plenty of time for that after you’re wed,’ observed Miss Topas reasonably. ‘Come on in. You can’t remain in this doorway, silhouetted against the light. It isn’t healthy.’
Deborah observed that Laura, grinning, and Alice, looking faithful and determined, were closing in on her. She laughed, and went in with them.
Neither Jonathan nor Mrs Bradley came back, although, all the time she was dancing, she watched the door, and at five minutes to eleven came the announcement of the last waltz.
‘Take young Alice, and make her happy for life,’ muttered Laura in Deborah’s ear. It seemed as well to make somebody happy, even though she was far from happy herself, so Deborah took Alice’s hand, smiled at her, said ‘Shall we?’ and swung her into the dance.
The general opinion that it had been ‘jolly decent of the Prin.’ to consent to the inclusion of Wattsdown College in the festivities, together with the necessity for the young gentlemen themselves of returning to their own territory some time before dawn, precluded any attempt to get Miss du Mugne to extend the time for the dancing, and by half past eleven the good-byes had been said, a last kiss or two snatched by the more enterprising, and lights had begun to appear in the uncurtained windows of the various Halls to guide the Cartaret students to their beds. The Athelstan contingent remained behind, having received word that they were to wait for Mrs Bradley. They stood about the hall in little groups, surprised and, at first, amused by the order. Deborah was talking to Miss du Mugne and Miss Crossley, and the three of them were glancing continuously at the door.