'Conchita's maid, when questioned, will say that her mistress arrived back from Sam's wedding, and said that Captain Brand was going to take her on a night-flying trip out over the Atlantic with Mr. Fink-Drummond.
'Rupert's mechanics will tell their story of how he returned from Sam's wedding to supervise their getting his plane ready for a special trip because he was going to fly Fink-Drummond to join his wife that night.
'And Rupert's butler will conclude the chain by informing inquirers how Conchita arrived at the house about one in the morning with Fink-Drummond, and told Rupert, in his presence, that Fink-Drummond was in such a hurry to get off that he had gone straight round to the hangar. The plane took off a few minutes later, and that is that,'
'Marvellous!' purred Conchita. 'You seem to have thought of everything; except for one small point. What if he has some important dinner tonight, a speech to make, or a banquet to attend? Will they not start to search for him prematurely when he does not return to his house or send any message?'
'That certainly is a snag to be got over. How would it be if Rupert telephoned Fink-Drummond's secretary to cancel all his engagements because urgent business made it necessary for him to spend the late afternoon in the City; and, after that, his plans were so uncertain that he might not be able to get back tonight? The inference afterwards would be that he'd made up his mind to join his wife at the last moment, returned to Bryanston Square, let himself in, and packed his own bag as he was in too much of a hurry to ring for any of the servants.'
Rupert shook his head. 'The part about my telephoning's all right, but not your inference about his returning to pack his bag. Otherwise one of his bags with his brushes, shaving tackle, and so on, would be missing from the house; and we can't just wish them into vanishing into thin air.'
'Sure, sure.' Hemmingway passed a hand over his big forehead. 'Yes, we must better that. I'll tell you. When you 'phone, speak to his butler. That's less risky than the secretary, who might start asking awkward questions. Tell the butler to pack him a bag for a couple of nights away from home, then to take it to Grosvenor House, check it into the cloakroom there, and say that the Marchesa del Serilla will call for it.'
'Do you think the butler would take such instructions from me without any confirmation from his master?'
'You've been to Fink-Drummond's house, haven't you?'
'Yes. I've lunched there two or three times.'
'That'll be all right, then. It's not like asking him to let a lot °f jewels or important papers out of his keeping, and he must know that you and Conchita are not the sort of people who'd enter into an elaborate plot to steal a week-end suitcase.'
'That's true.'
'Then Conchita will collect the bag from Grosvenor House around midnight, and instead of picking me up in Bryanston Square I'll be waiting on that quiet corner behind Grosvenor House where Park Street joins Mount Street.'
That is much better,' Conchita conceded, 'except that every, one will think he ran away with me.'
Rupert laughed and squeezed her arm. 'Not as it's my plane you're both going in, my sweet. They'll just believe that, as I was flying him out and you were in the secret, you helped him in his trouble by running him around to places in your car and picking up his things for him so that nobody should know, outside us three, what sort of funny business he was occupied on or whom he saw during the evening, before he made his get-away.'
Hemmingway gave a sigh of relief. 'Well, thank goodness we've sorted that. I'm most terribly grateful to you both, and I know Sam will be, too.'
'Not a bit of it,' Rupert smiled. 'Let's go and drink the old boy's health in another glass of wine, before the happy couple depart for their honeymoon.'
'I'll have a drink with you later. As best man, it's up to me to see they've got all their things together before they go.'
Conchita and Rupert went back arm-in-arm through the french windows into the drawing-room, while Hemmingway entered the front door. For a few moments he was busy giving final instructions and seeing the pile of luggage loaded on to the car. Then Sam came downstairs and looked across at him
inquiringly.
Hemmingway nodded. 'It's all fixed.'
'Good work,' Sam smiled. 'But if there's any trouble, you must cable me and I'll return at once to take responsibility.'
'Don't worry. I won't have to.'
They talked together for a few moments about business arrangements during Sam's absence, but broke off as Lavina and Margery came downstairs.
'I think I've got all your things,' Hemmingway said to Lavina, 'but you might just check them up, I know Sam's stuff but I'm not so used to yours.'
'Of course I will.' She went out with him on to the porch and together they ran over her pieces of luggage in the waiting car.
Margery, meanwhile, had turned in the other direction and was talking to Sam. From where they stood they were out of earshot of Hemmingway and Lavina but could see them just outside the open doorway.
At that moment Hemmingway held out his hand to Lavina and said: 'Well, I'll say good-bye now, before the crush surrounds you. Happy honeymoon.'
She looked up into those strange, wise eyes of his again and once more she had that sensation of vague fear. But Lavina was a courageous person and believed that the best way to conquer fear of anything was to face it boldly. This was fear of herself; not fear of him. And she knew that, since they would be together so much in the future, she must root it out now, once and for all.
To prove herself she smiled back into his eyes and said: 'Thanks so much for all you've done today, but isn't it usual for the best man to kiss the bride?'
'Not in the States, and I'm half American,' he laughed. 'I'm a poor hand at kissing people, too, unless I really mean it; and, if I did that, I'm afraid I'd make an awful hash of your makeup!'
It was said with such charming lightness that it was quite impossible for Lavina to take offence, but she was determined not to be side-tracked so she answered gaily: 'All right, then, I'll kiss you.' And, standing on tiptoe for a second, she gave him a swift kiss on the cheek.
Sam and Margery had witnessed the little scene from the distance. As he turned towards her to say something he saw that her face was strained and intent.
'May I give you a piece of advice?' she asked suddenly.
'Why, yes.' He lifted an eyebrow in surprise.
'Sack that secretary of yours.'
'Sack Hemmingway! Good Lord, why?'
'You'd better, unless you want your marriage broken up. He's young, extraordinarily attractive and the type that doesn't fall easily for women but, when they do, fall hard—and I know Lavina. All her life she's battened on admiration. She'll never rest until she's made him as mad about her as all the other men she's ever known for any length of time.'
'Margery!' Sam was really shocked. 'How can you can say such a frightful thing about your own sister?'
Suddenly Margery turned away and burst into a violent fit of tears.
Sam cast an anxious glance towards the drawing-room, flung an arm round the weeping girl's shoulders and pushed her into the cloakroom nearby; pulling the door to behind them.
'For God's sake, don't make a scene!' he said angrily. 'Stop crying, now. Stop it! Or your tears will mess up your face.'
With an effort Margery checked her sobbing, dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief and, walking over to the mirror, pulled out her compact to make good the traces of tears left on her cheeks.