'O.K.,' replied John promptly. `Was it Count Jules who collected you this morning?'
`Yes; and it was he who took me round the town this afternoon.'
`Right ! We'll be with you in three quarters of an hour. All you have to do is sit tight until we turn up, and in no circumstances fall for any pretext they may trot out with the idea of getting you to leave the hotel. Keep your chin up, and don't worry that pretty head of yours. We'll have you home in time for dinner.'
He had spoken with calm assurance, in order to quiet her evident fears; but as he replaced the receiver he felt far from confident about the outcome of the next few hours; and, while he repeated to his mother what she had said, it became even more clear to him that to get her away from the de Grasses was going to prove an extremely tricky business.
`If they once get her on their yacht it will be long odds against our ever seeing her again,' said Molly, now giving free rein to her anxiety.
He nodded glumly. `It looks as if the Marquis is at his old white slaving game again. Unless we can pull a fast one on him that poor kid may end up in Port Said or Buenos Aires.'
`Perhaps. She might, if they simply want to get rid of her. But I'm sure the Canon is behind this, and it may be that he wants to force her into doing something for some purpose of his own.'
`Anyhow, I'll be damned if I'm going to let him.' John had spoken with sudden fierceness, and his mother
shot him an appraising look as she asked, `You do rather
like her, then?'
He shrugged, gave a quick grin, and reverted to his usual gaily inconsequent manner. `Don't be silly, Mumsie. It is solely that my sense of chivalry has been aroused. I feel like the knight who was riding through a forest and came upon a beauteous damsel tied to a tree. She cried out to him, “Frugal me, frugal me ! ” So he frugalled her.'
`Stop talking nonsense,' Molly admonished him, turning away. `We've got to hurry. While you get the car out, I must just run upstairs. I won't be a moment.'
`You had better not,' he called after her, as he ran towards the door, `otherwise I shall start without you.'
Five minutes later she rejoined him in the road, carrying a crocodile skin bag that she generally used only when travelling. As she got into the car he gave it a suspicious glance, and said, `You haven't brought the armaments, have you?'
She had never lied to him, and, after a second, she admitted, `I've brought my small automatic but it's only a very little one.'
Instead of letting in the clutch, he sat back and folded his arms. `Now look, dearest. Things may be done that way in your thrillers, but they are not in real life. It's too damn' dangerous. For one thing the de Grasses would make mincemeat of us, and for another, if we survived the first five minutes they are clever enough to ensure that it is we who would find ourselves in prison afterwards. Before I drive you a yard, you have got to give me your solemn promise that you won't start anything.'
`All right, I promise,' she said with a sigh. `But it is a bit hard. This might have been a real chance to find out what it feels like to hold somebody up with a pistol
'Try it sometime when I am elsewhere on my lawful occasions,' he advised. `Then I'll at least remain free myself to come and bail you out.'
As he spoke the car shot forward. He was feeling guilty now at having scotched his mother's suggestion that they should drive on to St. Tropez from St. Maxime, as the sun was already going down beyond the hills ahead of them, and had he not opposed her they would by this time have been with Christina. In consequence, while exercising a fair degree of caution going round the sharp bends of the Corniche, he drove much faster than was his custom.
It was a good twenty five miles from the villa to St. Tropez; but, after St. Raphael, for about half that distance the road was nearly flat and moderately straight, as it followed the shallow curve of the great bay in the centre of which lay St. Maxime; so until they reached Beauvallon he was able to make good going. There, the road made a hairpin bend round the deep narrow gulf, then wound its way along the peninsula that had St. Tropez as its seaward end. When they pulled up in front of the great modern building of concrete and glass, that looked more like a block of flats than an hotel, it was just after seven and twilight was falling.
While on their way they had made their plan of campaign, and on entering the hotel, instead of enquiring for the Marquis at the desk, they walked straight to the lift and asked the lift man to take them up to de Grasse's suite. The lift shot up to the top floor, and as they stepped from it the man pointed out to them a door at the end of the corridor. Their footfalls making no sound on the heavy pile carpet, they advanced towards it; then John rang the bell.
After a moment the door was opened by Count Jules. He was a shortish but athletic looking young man in his middle twenties, with slim hips, broad shoulders and a plump round face. His eyes were very dark and his lips a trifle thick, but the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, giving him an expression of humorous good nature.
For a few seconds he stared blankly at his visitors, then recognition dawned in his eyes, and he exclaimed in English that had no more than a faint trace of accent
`Why! Surely it is John Fountain?'
`Of course,' John smiled. `I thought you were expecting us.'
Count Jules looked his astonishment. `Forgive me, but I did not know, even, that you were in this part of the world.'
John made a gesture of annoyance. `I'm so sorry. They must have made a muddle downstairs. I asked for you at the desk, and after telephoning the chap said we were to come up. But there was a woman beside us asking for somebody else, and in making the calls he must have got his lines crossed.'
A slight narrowing of the Frenchman's eyes suggested either suspicion or that he was not used to such inefficient service and meant to give the unfortunate receptionist a sharp reprimand; but before he had time to make any comment John hurried on
`I happened to meet your father last night in the Casino at Cannes. That's how I learned you were here. My mother and I have been visiting friends in St. Tropez this afternoon. On the spur of the moment I thought I would look you up before we drive back to our little villa for dinner.'
`But how nice ! I am delighted, delighted.' There was no trace in the Count's voice of anything but genuine pleasure.
`I don't think you've ever met my mother,' John said.
Enchante, Madame.' Count Jules took Molly's hand as though it were a fragile piece of porcelain, and went through the motion of kissing the back of it, although he did not actually touch it with his lips. Then he murmured, `Forgive me for keeping you standing like this in the hall. Please to come in. We are so happy to see you.'
The small hallway of the suite had four doors leading from it. That on the immediate right stood partly open. Issuing from it John had heard the murmur of voices, and he guessed that Christina was with someone there. He had spoken to Jules rather loudly in the hope that she might hear what he said, and so not sabotage his story by giving any indication that they had really come to collect her. As their host pushed the door back and bowed through it, John saw over her shoulder that Christina was looking in their direction with anxious expectation. But Molly forestalled any gaffe she might have made by exclaiming
`Why, Christina ! John told me you were lunching with these friends of his, but I never expected to find you still here.'
Jules' glance switched swiftly from the girl to the newcomers, and he said in a surprised voice, `You know one another, then?'
`Oh yes,' Molly replied lightly. `We are next door neighbours and quite old friends.'
When they entered the room a woman, who at first sight looked quite young, had been curled up in one corner of a big settee. As she uncurled herself and sat up Jules turned and addressed her in rapid French