Part 9 (1/2)
As their carriage pa.s.sed out of the station, with a deep sigh of relief Eglantine relaxed to an easier, less crus.h.i.+ng posture, and at once took up the subject of the Honourable John Ruffin. She showed herself exceedingly curious about him, and Pollyooly's natural discretion was somewhat strained in answering her questions. It was difficult to convey as little information as possible.
But at the end of half an hour Eglantine had exhausted that subject; and she turned to the yet more interesting matter of her own affairs.
She had much to tell Pollyooly about Devons.h.i.+re, the wet garden of England. Its horticultural advantages seemed to weigh but lightly with her; she dwelt chiefly on the loneliness of the life she had been leading, and deplored bitterly the fact that its inglorious ease was spoiling her figure by increasing her girth.
Then, with an air of mystery and in deeper tones, she confided to Pollyooly that her lot in this wet desert was not without its alleviation. A wealthy landowner (he did own a part of the market-garden he so sedulously cultivated) had developed a grand--oh, but a grand!--pa.s.sion for her, and was positively persecuting her with his honourable intentions.
Pollyooly was deeply interested by her tale, for her recent experience with Mr. Hilary Vance, Mr. Reginald b.u.t.terwick and Flossie had forced the tender pa.s.sion on her attention. She was greatly puzzled by the reason which Eglantine gave for not making her landowner happy by marrying him, that he was bearded. Mrs. Brown's husband, a cheerful policeman, was bearded; but they were uncommonly happy together. In the end she made up her mind that Eglantine's feeling in the matter must be a French prejudice.
They reached Exeter at a few minutes past ten; and having no luggage but the little kit-bag, in a few minutes, in spite of the conspiratorial air and behaviour of Eglantine, they were speeding swiftly in the motor car toward Budleigh Salterton. It was a delightful, moonlit night, and Pollyooly enjoyed the drive greatly.
About forty minutes later the car stopped at a little gate leading into a pine wood, and they descended, bade the driver good night, and went through it. In the path through the dark wood Eglantine lost her air of competent and excited leaders.h.i.+p. She was timorous, held Pollyooly tightly by the arm, and when a bird, or an animal, rustled in the bushes, she squeaked.
At last the path ended in a little gate opening into the garden of the lonely house. They came up to it very gently, and Eglantine peered round the garden, searching for the lawyer and the detective.
It seemed empty, and as she opened the gate she whispered:
”We must roon quick!”
They bolted across the garden to the back door, and as they reached it a man burst out of the bushes twenty yards on their left, and dashed at them. Eglantine screamed, but she opened the door, dragged Pollyooly through it, slammed the door in the pursuer's face, and shot the bolt.
At the sound of the bang the d.u.c.h.ess came flying through the lighted hall. At the sight of Pollyooly she cried:
”Thank goodness you've come!”
Eglantine burst into an excited narrative of their journey and narrow escape from the watcher in the garden.
”Then he actually saw Mary Bride come into the house?” cried the d.u.c.h.ess joyfully, and she clapped her hands.
”But yes! Ever so plainly!” cried Eglantine.
”Good! Nothing could be better!” said the d.u.c.h.ess. ”They'll think that Marion is in the house, and that's all I want.”
She kissed Pollyooly, thanked her for coming, asked if the journey had tired her very much, and led her into the dining-room, where a delicious supper awaited her. As she ate it the d.u.c.h.ess, watching her with an air of lively satisfaction, matured her plans. At last she said:
”I was going to let them catch you to-morrow morning, and then I was going up to London with you. But you look like a clever little girl; do you think you could hide in the wood from them all the morning? If you could, I would go up to London first thing, and I should have lots of time to get away with Marion before they caught you and found out who you were.”
”Oh, yes! I'm sure I could!” cried Pollyooly eagerly; and her eyes shone with a bright joy at the prospect of so excellent a game of hide-and-seek. ”If once I got into that wood, they'd never find me unless I let them. Only it would be a good deal easier if I wore a dark frock.”
”You shall!” cried the d.u.c.h.ess. ”It would be perfectly splendid! I know you're a clever little girl. Otherwise you couldn't have made them believe for so long at Ricksborough Court that you were Marion.
Cook shall make you up a packet of sandwiches so that you won't starve; and if you can keep them busy till the afternoon, we shall have all the time we want to get comfortably away.”
”I think I can,” said Pollyooly with the confidence born of much experience in hide-and-seek. ”But even if they do catch me, they won't know I'm not Lady Marion; I'm sure I can keep them from bothering you all day.”
The d.u.c.h.ess kissed her again, and said:
”I shall be ever so much obliged to you if you do. But half a day will be quite enough. And now you'd better go to bed; you must be sleepy, and the more sleep you get the fresher you'll be to-morrow. I shall be gone long before you're up.”
She took her up-stairs to Marion's bedroom, a charming room on the first floor, and Pollyooly found the most comfortable spring bed so lulling that in spite of her expectation of an exciting morrow, she soon fell asleep.