I heard one bejewelled lady proclaim in audible tones that it was delightful, quite enchanting. She had never seen anything like it and wasn't Jason an angel to have arranged such an enchanting surprise for them ail.
Daisy was in her element. The evening had been more successful than she had anticipated; she was delighted with the company and she was sure it would result in more pupils, for Jason had told her that he had made sure to invite several fond parents, and she must have seen by the appreciation and applause that they were delighted with what had taken place.
She came to congratulate me on the descriptive passages. "So moving," she said. "So inspiring." I glowed with pleasure. "I'd like to get the girls in soon," she went on. "I don't like them running about among the guests. You never know. They are at such a difficult age ... some of them. I think it would be a good idea if you and some of the others rounded them up and let them know that I would like them to go to their rooms quietly. They will, I have no doubt, watch from their windows, but we have to turn a blind eye to that. I have already sent the younger ones to bed. It is the monks and the Elizabethans I want to get in."
"I will do what I can."
I found three of the Elizabethans who went off docilely. The monks were older girls and not so easy to find. I could see two of them talking to some of the guests from the Hall and decided to leave them for the time being. Then I saw one of the monks by herself making her way to the nave. I started alter her but as soon as she was out of sight of the company, she started to run. She was making her way towards the sanctuary and the chapel of five altars.
I quickened my pace. Now she was stepping carefully across the flags; she was entering the chapel and as she did so, a tall figure in a monk's robe came out to meet her.
I called out: "You two there. You are to go to your bedrooms. Miss Hetherington's orders."
For a few seconds they stood as though petrified. They were so still that they might have been part of the stones around them. Then suddenly the taller of the two seized the other by the hand and dragged her away. They did not have to pass me because there were no walls to the chapel; all they had to do was pick their way over the stones.
"Come here," I called.
But they were running as though their lives depended on it. The hood of one of them fell back and disclosed the flaxen hair of Fiona Verringer.
"Fiona," I called. "Come back. Come back, both of you."
They ran on. They ran into the kitchens, and the tunnels, I believed, were very close.
I sighed. Fiona was changing. She used to be quite a good girl. Could the one with her be Charlotte Mackay? It looked to be someone taller, though Charlotte was tall and she might have been standing on a higher level.
I went back to the company to look for more performers who were to be sent to their beds.
It was after midnight before the company dispersed, and those who had devised the pageant stood with Miss Hetherington to receive the thanks and congratulations from the departing guests. Then the carriages took them back to the Hall.
Before I went to bed I must make my rounds of the bedrooms in my care. When I went to Fiona's room I remembered that she had run away when I called her ... she and another.
She lay in her bed presumably asleep, her golden hair streaming over the pillow. She looked angelic. "Are you asleep?" I asked.
There was no answer from Fiona.
Eugenie said: "I'm not. Fiona is. She was very tired."
I could wake her, of course, to reprimand her, but I decided to speak to her in the morning. It really was perverse of her to run away like that.
Well, they were all safe. Most of them were awake and whispering together about the evening. What could one expect on such a night?
The next day everyone was talking about the visit to the Hall. Mademoiselle had a beautiful bail gown which she said came from Paris.
"We can't match that," said Eileen Eccles. "Plymouth is the nearest I can get to high fashion."
"We should have had more warning," said Frâulein.
"An invitation which comes unexpectedly is more exciting," replied Mademoiselle.
Miss Parker and Miss Barston were greatly relieved that they had been selected to stay behind, so everyone was very satisfied with the arrangements. I had debated what I would wear. Aunt Patty had advised me to take two evening dresses with me. She had said there were always the odd functions and I never knew what I should need. "One subdued and one startling, my dear. You can't go wrong in that."
I decided I had no wish to look subdued so I chose the startling gown which was rather low cut and in a rather unusual bluish-green shade. It was made of chiffon and it had a closely fitted tucked bodice and a skirt which billowed out from the waist.
"There's an air of simplicity about it," Aunt Patty had said, "and oddly enough that makes it startling. You'd be the belle of the bail in that no matter where you were."
A comforting remark on an occasion when I was going to be among the wealthy.
My gown was approved of by all in the calefactory and even Daisy-herself resplendent in mauve velvet-complimented me on its good taste.
Emmet was taking some of us to the Hall and Sir Jason was sending his carriage for the others; there might have to be two journeys for it seemed unlikely that we could all crowd into two carriages.
Fiona and Eugenie had gone over in the afternoon because as Daisy said it was their home and they were part hostesses. It would be good practice for the future. I was to go with Emmet and some of the mistresses.
About an hour before Emmet was due I was putting the last touches to my appearance when Elsa came in; she gave me that conspiratorial smile she always bestowed on me and which I think was meant to remind me of our days at Schaffenbrucken.
"You do look nice," she said. "I've got this for you."
She produced a letter.
"At this time of day?" I said, surprised.
"The post came at the usual time but with all the fuss going on it was forgotten. I'm only just taking the letters round."
I said: "Everything's been topsyturvy today."
I took the letter and she hovered. With anyone else I should have given a cool word of dismissal, but it was different with Elsa. It always had been because of memories of the past.
"Well, I hope you enjoy tonight."
It was almost as though she were waiting for me to open the letter.
I put it down and turned to the mirror.
"Well ... have a good time ..."
As soon as she was gone I picked up the envelope. I looked hard at it because my name and address were in block capitals. The postmark was Colby. Who could have been writing to me from there? I slit the envelope. There was one piece of paper inside and the same block letters were used. The words sprang out and hit me like a blow:
WHERE IS MRS. MARTINDALE?
DON'T THINK YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH MURDER.
YOU ARE BEING WATCHED.
I felt as though I were dreaming. I turned the paper over in my hands. Just an ordinary sheet of plain paper. I looked at the printing. Anyone could have done that. It was obviously written like that to disguise handwriting. I looked at the envelope again. The same printing. The Colby postmark. What did it mean? Some malicious person was suggesting that I had either killed Marcia Martindale or had had a hand in it.
How could they? What motive had I? Of course .. . in spite of my determination to remain aloof I was becoming involved. Jason's pursuit of me had scarcely been discreet and people had noticed. Thoughts raced round and round in my mind. The person who had written this letter believed that Marcia Martindale was a rival of mine and that we both wanted to marry Jason Verringer.