Part 17 (1/2)

The sight of the child sitting disconsolately outside the door of the flat dispelled her own problems, however. She could hardly believe the cross-legged figure was who she thought it was, but as she hastened towards her, Anya looked up, and Joanna knew she was not mistaken.

'Anya! she exclaimed, hurrying towards her, and the girl got obediently to her feet, watching her approach with uneasy defiance.

She didn't look a lot different from the first occasion Joanna had seen her. For one thing, she had reverted to her old boyish clothes, and the torn anorak, that had since been replaced by an attractive new red one. Her hair was screwed up beneath the old cap, and her face was streaked, as if in spite of her defiance she was not totally immune to tears. Joanna's heart went out to her, and in her own emotional state she felt more like gathering the child into her arms than admonis.h.i.+ng her for running away. For that was what she must have done, though how or why she had found her way to Cavendish Court, Joanna couldn't imagine.

'h.e.l.lo, Anya,' she said now, adopting a deliberately casual tone.

'Where have you come from?'

Anya sniffed, rubbing her nose with her sleeve. 'I came off the train,'

she declared, daring contradiction. 'I travelled all the way by myself.'

Joanna's fingers tightened round her handbag. 'And your father?

Does he know where you are?' she probed, knowing full well he would not, and Anya shook her head.

'He went away,' she said, offhandedly. 'He won't be worrying about me. Besides, I wanted to see you. To ask you to come back again.'

Joanna didn't know what to say. This was so unexpected. So unbelievable! And while she was flattered that Anya approved of her sufficiently to make this impulsive journey to London, she guessed that Jake would view the situation with different eyes.

Gathering her thoughts with difficulty, Joanna fumbled in her bag for the key her mother had given her, while Anya continued her explanations. 'I rang the bell, but no one answered,' she said, as Joanna inserted her key in the lock. 'I guessed you were out, so I sat down to wait until you got back.'

Joanna shook her head. She wondered with slight hysteria how her mother would have reacted if she had been at home, or if she had returned to find this pale-faced waif on her doorstep.

She was not the type to respond to the poignancy of Anya's situation. Her disparaging comments when Joanna had given her a sketchy explanation of why she had left Ravengarth had been less than encouraging. It was obviously her opinion that she was well out of it, but on the whole Mrs Seton was far too busy with her own affairs to pay too much attention to her daughter.

Now, Joanna breathed a sigh of relief for Brigadier Lawson's persistence. At his invitation, her mother was spending the weekend at his country home in Wilts.h.i.+re, and in consequence she and Anya would not be interrupted.

'Do you live here alone?' asked the girl, as Joanna went around, switching on lamps and drawing the heavy curtains over the windows. 'It's very nice, isn't it? And lovely and warm. It was cold sitting out in the corridor.'

'I expect it was,' murmured Joanna absently, taking off her coat.

'Anya, what did you mean when you said your father was away?

Where is he? When is he coming back? Don't you think I ought to get in touch with him?'

She had to follow Anya, who had wandered out of the living room as she was speaking, and she found the little girl in her bedroom, exclaiming over the furry pyjama case that resided on her bed.

'This is sweet, isn't it?' she said delightedly as Joanna came into the room. 'Does he have a name? Does he share the flat with you?'

'It's my mother's flat, actually,' said Joanna, leaning thoughtfully against the door frame. 'Anya, where's your father?

He must have told you where he was going.'

'No, he didn't.' Anya spoke carelessly. 'He hasn't said much at all since you went away. It's been awful-all miserable and everything.'

She pulled a face. 'And when I asked him if I could ride Air Trevor's horse, he was really angry. I thought he was going to explode!' She shrugged. 'Then he went away ...'

Joanna didn't know what to say. Jake's att.i.tude did not surprise her, and yet she would have thought that now her disruptive presence had been removed, he would have had more patience with the child.

'Where's your mother?' Anya asked now. 'Will she be coming back soon? Will she mind if I stay here?'

'Stay here?' echoed Joanna faintly, and then shook her head.

Obviously the child would have to stay here tonight, but somehow she would have to get a message to Matt and Mrs Parrish, who would no doubt be half out of their minds with worry at Anya's disappearance. If only there was a telephone!

But Ravengarth was not connected to the telephone system, and Jake had had no reason to make contact with the outside world.

'I can stay here, can't I?' Anya was asking now, anxiously, and Joanna rea.s.sured her.

'Of course,' she said, moving her shoulders in a helpless gesture.

'You can sleep in my mother's bed-she's away. But first, you must take a bath. However did you get so dirty?'

Anya grimaced, putting down the pyjama case and looking down at herself with critical eyes. 'I 'spect it was the coal wagon,'

she volunteered amazingly. 'The driver said he'd give me a lift into Penrith, but it was pretty dirty inside.'

Joanna stared at her incredulously. 'But you said you came on the train. Why didn't you just take the bus into Penrith?' She frowned.

'Incidentally, how did you get the money to pay for your ticket?'

Anya sighed. 'I borrowed it. The money, I mean.'

'You mean you just-took it?'

'I didn't steal it, if that's what you mean,' declared Anya indignantly.

'I-I had some money in a money box, that Aunt Marcia had sent me from time to time. I'm supposed to be saving it, so I borrowed some of that.'

'And the bus?'

'If I'd caught the bus, someone would have seen me and probably sent me back,' explained Anya reluctantly.

'You didn't let anyone know where you were going?' Joanna's worst fears were realised. 'No.'

'Oh, Anya!'

'They won't worry,' the girl exclaimed eagerly. 'Matt will think I've gone to the usual place.'

'The shepherd's hut?'

'Yes.'

'And what if he's already found you're not there?'

'He won't.' Anya hunched her shoulders. 'They won't look for me until tomorrow. Besides, they won't mind when they know I'm with you.'

'If you thought that, why did you cover your tracks so well?'