“Of course not,” he replied.
And we laughed and walked into the marble hall of our palazzo.
We did not speak of the Freelings after that. I fancied that Aubrey felt as I did, and that was that we could have done without the intrusion. The remark that we must meet before we left Venice was, I suspected, one of those vague statements which people make out of politeness rather than intention.
Two days after the encounter Aubrey asked me when I was going shopping for the gifts I intended to buy and why did I not do it that afternoon.
“I know you don’t really care to have me around while you’re doing it,” he said.
“So why don’t you go and spend as much time as you like in those little shops and I’ll wait for you. Oh … I know what I could do. I could look in at the Freelings’ place and perhaps spend an hour or so with them. I know you are not very keen on seeing them. And I suppose it is only common politeness … having met them here.”
I said I thought it was a good idea.
I spent several hours in the shops making my decision. There was so much to choose from. I bought a bracelet for. Amelia. It was gold, studded with lapis lazuli; and just as I was about to settle for a marble paperweight for my father, I saw some beautiful wall plates which I felt I had to buy. So I bought one with a picture of Raphael for Stephen and of Dante for my father. I was sure they would like them and they would remind me for ever of those magical days in Venice.
When I returned to the palazzo it was about six o’clock. Benedetto informed me that Aubrey was not yet home. I had a leisurely bath and lay on the bed reading for half an hour expecting Aubrey to return at any moment.
As time passed, and he still had not come, I began to be’ alarmed.
Benedetto came to ask me if I would have dinner served, and I said I would wait.
He smiled sympathetically. I knew he was thinking that we had had a lovers’ quarrel.
I began to be afraid. I thought of those dark alleys; memories came back to me of the man I had seen lying with blood on his clothes . dragged out of the canal. I had not heard the end of that story. Who had he been? A tourist who had been set upon by robbers or was his death the result of some long-standing vendetta?
I sat on the veranda. I went back to my room and paced up and down.
Aubrey had gone to the Freelings. I had not heard the name of their hotel. Mrs. Freeling must have told him but he had not mentioned it to me.
I felt inadequate. Here I was in a foreign country, not speaking the language, and I could not think how I should act. Surely Aubrey would not stay away so long unless something awful had happened. Suppose the Freelings had invited him to dine with them. Surely they would have asked me to join them or perhaps sent word to me that he was with them. No. It could not be that. Something must have happened to him.
What should I do? Go round the hotels? Go to the British Consul? Where was that? Call a gondola and ask to be taken to the Embassy? Was I making a fuss? There had been times when Aubrey had made me feel a little naive. Was I? Would he come in and say: “The Freelings asked me to stay. I knew you’d be safe here.” Was that the way in which worldly husbands and wives behaved?
He would know how I was feeling. He would never worry me like this.
I must do something.
I went down to the servants’ quarters. I could hear their voices. They were chattering as they normally did. They apparently did not think Aubrey’s absence was unusual. I went back to my bedroom and stood on the veranda looking out at the darkening water.
He must come back. There must be news of him. How could I go through the night like this? I could hear the bronze figures striking on the bell in the Clock Tower. I must go and get help. I would find Benedetto and ask him to accompany me. We must find the Embassy and report Aubrey’s disappearance.
But I remained standing on the veranda. Gondolas slipped by. I prayed for one of them to stop and for Aubrey to get out and come running to tell me what had happened.
Just as I was feeling I could endure it no longer and that I must go out in search of him without delay a gondola stopped at the palazzo. A man got out. He was very tall. He stood with his back to me; he was wearing a black cloak and a black hat.
Then both he and the gondolier were helping someone to alight.
I stared. It was Aubrey.
I gripped the rail of the veranda. I could not see the stranger’s face because his hat hid it; and as I stood there as though petrified, for a moment floods of relief swept over me. Aubrey was safe.
I turned and ran out of the room to the stairs. He was coming up and he was alone. The man in black was no longer there.
“Aubrey,” I cried.
“Susanna … Oh, my dearest Susanna.”
I ran to him and was caught in his arms. He looked strange; his cravat was twisted, there was an almost wild look in his eyes and his hands were shaking.
“What happened?” I asked.
“Let me get in … I’ll explain.”
I put my arm through his and unsteadily we went upstairs.
“Did someone attack you?” I asked.
He nodded, but he was clearly too weak to talk. He wanted to get to our room. When we reached it he sank into a chair, i “I’ll get you some brandy,” I said.
“Or whatever you would’ like.” ‘s He shook his head.
“Oh, Susanna, I’m sorry … so sorry this happened.
Were you worried? ”
“Desperately^ I did not know what to do.” j “Oh my dear. That was my great anxiety. What would yo be thinking .. what would you be doing?”
“Are you hurt?” I asked.
“Dazed. Shaken a bit. No bones broken.”
“Can you tell me what happened?”
He nodded.
“I went to the Freelings. I left about six. I wanted to be home before you returned. I took a short cut through one of those alleys. It was a silly thing to do.”
“Oh no! I could not get the thought of that man lying by the canal out of my mind … the blood on his clothes …”
“Two men approached me. I did not like the look of them. I turned to retrace my steps, but there were two more behind me. I was hit on the head and I just passed out.”
“Oh my dear Aubrey, how terrible! I should have made enquiries. I should have gone to the Embassy.”
“It -wouldn’t have done any good. When I came to … I don’t know how long after, I was alone … in some sort of hut. It was dark and I could see very little. But when my eyes grew accustomed to the darkness I explored a bit. I found a door. It was locked on the outside. I felt weak. I could scarcely stand. I shouted. But it seemed as if no one came that way.”
“They had robbed you, I suppose.”
“They took my purse. That was what they wanted.”
“But why did they lock you up?”
“Perhaps they didn’t want the alarm given too soon.”
“Oh … the wickedness!”
He nodded and, taking my hand, kissed it.
“There was a man with you … in the gondola,” I said.
“Yes. He brought me home. What I should have done without him I can’t imagine. I should still be in that hut.”
“I didn’t know what to do. I felt so foolish … so inadequate … so helpless. I should have made Benedetto go with me to find someone to help.”
“You did the best thing by waiting. I don’t know what I should have felt like if I had come back and found you gone.”
“What about this man?”
“While I was trying to find a means of getting out I heard footsteps.
I called out. Someone answered. Fortunately it was an Englishman and I was able to explain. He said he would go and get help. But he found a window in the place. He broke it and came in. Then he got me out. “