`In view of your father's bias against religion it seems rather strange that he should have made a life long friend of a canon.'
`He is not a practicing clergyman, and I think he helped Father to make his first start in business. Anyhow, they knew one another when Father was chauffeur to Mrs. Durnsford, and it may be partly on my account that the Canon has always called whenever I've spent a few days at home. You see, he is my godfather.'
`Have you any idea what your father's plans for you are when your month's tenancy of this villa is up?'
`Yes and no. That is one of the things that worries me so much. He said that if everything went all right he would come back and collect me. If he didn't, I was to return to England and go the head office of the National Provincial Bank in London. If I made myself known at the Trustee Department and asked for a Mr. Smithson he would give me a packet of papers. When I had read them I could make up my own mind about my future; and I need have no anxiety about money, as he had made ample provision for me to receive an income which would enable me to live quite comfortably without taking a job.'
`Good gracious!' Molly exclaimed. `From that one can only infer that the danger threatens both of you, and that it is something much more serious than blackmail, or even being sent to prison.'
Christina nodded. `Yes, it's pretty frightful, isn't it, to think that he may already be dead, and that if they find me I may be dead too before the month is up?'
`My dear child!' Molly quickly sought to reassure her. `You mustn't think such things. He may only have meant that he might have to leave you for a much longer period, and that during it you would have to make arrangements for yourself. I must confess, though, that in spite of all you've told me, I haven't yet got an inkling who this mysterious “They” can be.'
For a further quarter of an hour they speculated on the
problem in vain; then, as Molly stood up to leave, Christina said, `You have been terribly kind, Mrs. Fountain; and just being able to talk about this wretched business has made me feel much less miserable already.'
Molly went on tip toe to give her a quick kiss. `I'm so glad; and you do understand, don't you, that you can come in to me at any time. If I don't see you before, I shall expect you to morrow for lunch; but if you have the least reason to be frightened by anything don't hesitate to come over at once.'
Together they walked out into the sunshine and began the descent of the steep garden path. They were about half way down it when there came a rustling in the undergrowth and a joyful barking.
`That's Fido, my cocker spaniel,' Molly remarked. `The wicked fellow must have seen me and broken through the pittosporum hedge.'
Skilfully avoiding the prickly cactus, the dog came bounding towards his mistress. On reaching her he barked louder than ever and jumped up affectionately.
`Down, Fido! Down!' she cried in mock severity. `How dare you invade someone else's garden without being invited to call. You are as bad as I am.'
Like the well trained animal he was, he ceased his transports, but ran towards Christina, expecting to find in her a new friend.
Suddenly he halted in his tracks. His body seemed to become rigid; the hackles rose on his neck, his jaws began to drool saliva, and through them came a low whimper of fear.
`Whatever can be the matter with him?' Molly exclaimed in astonishment. `I've never known him behave like that before.'
Christina's face had become half sullen and half miserable as she said in a low voice, `It's not my fault! I can't help it. But animals always take a dislike to me on sight.
4
Enter the Wicked Marquis
It was March 1st and John Fountain had arrived that morning. He and his mother had just finished lunch, and with a sigh of satisfaction he smiled across at her.
`What a meal! How good it is to eat in France again. I bet there were six eggs in the omelet. And that fillet of beef as tender as foie gras and as big as a month's ration! Real butter instead of National grease, and the pineapple au Kirsch topped with lashings of cream. Most of our wretched people at home have forgotten that such food still exists.'
Molly nodded. `It is years now since there has been a shortage of anything down here. Food is expensive, of course, but the markets are always overflowing with it. The rich alone could not consume one twentieth of the perishable stuff that is offered for sale every day, and even the poorest classes show no signs of being hungry. It's simply that the French people always have spent most of their earnings on food and they still insist on the right to do so. I can't think why our people continue to allow themselves to be half starved by their Government. I'm sure it isn't necessary.'
`I can answer that one.' John's voice was bitter. `It's due to the Socialists and their insistence on continued bulk buying by the nation. That may have been necessary during the war, but by forcing it on us for six years afterwards they destroyed the whole organization that had been built up over centuries of private firms importing our food from the best markets at the best prices. It will be years before the incredible muddle they made can be unsorted. But tell me more about this girl next door.'
`I don't think there's much more to tell, Johnny. During the past three days I've seen quite a bit of her. She is still nervous of going out in the day time but, quite illogically, she doesn't seem to mind at night. On Sunday I always dine out for a change, so yesterday afternoon I suggested that she should come with me to the Reserve at St. Raphael. She said she would rather not, but about half past six she turned up here and asked if she might change her mind. Of course I said “Yes”, and I'm sure she thoroughly enjoyed herself.'
`Do you really believe her story?'
`Yes. She has the naturally frank expression and well spaced eyes that can nearly always be taken as a sign of honesty; and I don't see what she could possibly hope to gain by deceiving me. After all, it wasn't a case of her approaching me and attempting to win my sympathy, perhaps in the hope of a loan; but I who invited her confidence. Then the way she inadvertently let out the name of her home and its previous occupant shows that she is not an accomplished enough liar to have made the whole thing up.'
`With a pre 1949 telephone directory of Essex those two items of information should be sufficient for us to trace the village she comes from, and the initials on the manicure set make it pretty certain that her real name begins with B; so it shouldn't be very difficult to find out who she is.'
`I don't think it would be quite playing the game for us to do that.'
`It may be necessary if these people who are after her suddenly appear on the scene.'
`Let's not meet trouble half way, Johnny. I'm hoping, though, that while you are here you'll give some of your time to her. With a man she would probably be less scared of going out during the day, and it would do her a world of good to be taken about a bit.'
His rather thin face broke into a slightly cynical grin. 'No doubt. But what about me? I'm on holiday remember. Do you think she is my cup of tea?'
Mrs. Fountain did not reply immediately, but smiled a little dubiously at her attractive son. He was of medium height, well made, although not powerful. His principal charm lay in his lively, intelligent eyes and humorous mouth. He had dark hair and his nose was slightly aquiline. Although only twenty three the responsible position he had secured in a good firm had matured him early; so he was very much a man now, and she was wise enough to seek no longer to control him.
She was thinking of his previous holidays. Last year he had run around with that little Italian countess, who was certainly no better than she should be. The previous year he had given her even more serious cause for secret alarm by attaching himself to an American widow of glamorous appearance, but uncertain age and most dubious antecedents. Johnny's taste certainly did not run in the direction of jeunes fidles. That was natural enough for a man in his early twenties, and it would do him no harm as long as he did not get himself seriously entangled. Knowing that the Riviera swarmed with harpies, she dreaded the sort of designing female that he might so easily pick up, and during the past few days she had been rather hoping that this year Christina might prove a sufficient attraction to keep him out of mischief. She thought the chances of that very slender, but she was clever enough not to spoil the market by boosting the goods, and after a moment she said