do?”
Abe put his finger to his lips, then as he crossed the room to close one of her trunks and strap it up he said in a whisper she could hardly hear:
“Wait here, Lady, ’till I fetch you.”
Grania looked at him in surprise wondering what he meant.
Then he picked up her trunk, put it on his shoulder and walked down the stairs, making no effort to walk quietly but seeming to accentuate the noise of his footsteps.
He must have passed through the hall, then a few minutes later Grania heard him say in his quiet, respectful voice:
“Another drink, Sir?”
“Give it me and get on with the luggage,” Roderick Maigrin snarled, and Grania knew he was sitting just inside the Drawing-Room door.
“Three more trunks, Sir.”
“Tell your mistress to come down and talk to me. I find it boring sitting here alone.”
“Not ready, Sir,” Abe replied, and by this time he was halfway up the stairs.
He closed a second trunk, and took it down.
Once again Grania heard him give Mr. Maigrin another drink.
She thought perhaps Momma Mabel was preparing them in the kitchen, but there was no sound of their voices and Abe came upstairs again. This time he was not empty-handed.
He was carrying a large washing-basket in which clothes after they had been washed were taken out to be attached to the line on which they would dry.
Grania looked at him in surprise as Abe set it down on the floor and without speaking motioned her to get inside it.
She understood, and crouching down in the basket waited while he fetched a sheet from the bed and put it over her, tucking it down round her without speaking.
Picking up the basket by its two handles he started down the stairs.
Now Grania’s heart was beating frantically as she knew that there was every chance even though he had had a lot to drink, of Roderick Maigrin thinking it strange that her clothes which had come from London should be in an open washing-basket.
She was however, aware that there was nothing else in the house in which she could be carried and Abe had taken a chance on the fact that Mr. Maigrin would not be expecting her to escape in such an undignified manner.
Abe reached the last step of the stairs.
Now he was walking across the hall and passing the open door of the Drawing-Room.
Through the open wicker-work Grania could see the lights from several candles and vaguely she thought she could distinguish the large body of the man she loathed sprawled in one of her mother’s comfortable armchairs, a glass in his hand.
She was not sure if she really saw this with her eyes or with her imagination.
Then Abe had passed the door and was walking down the passage to the kitchen and she held her breath, just in case at the very last moment she would hear Roderick Maigrin shouting at them to stop.
But Abe walked on and now he carried her out through the back door and still not stopping moved into the thickness of the bougainvillaea bushes which grew right up to the walls of the house.
Only as he put the basket down on the ground did Grania realise that he had rescued her, and now she could reach the Comte without Roderick Maigrin knowing where she had gone.
Abe pulled off the sheet which had covered her and in the moonlight Grania could see his eyes looking at her anxiously.
“Thank you, Abe,” she whispered. “I will go to the ship.”
Abe nodded and said:
“Bring trunks later.”
As he spoke he pointed and Grania saw that the two trunks he had already brought downstairs were hidden under the bushes, where it would be difficult for anybody who was unsuspecting, to see them.
“Be careful,” she warned and he smiled.
Then as the terror which enveloped her swept over her like a tidal wave, she started to run frantically, wildly, as if Roderick Maigrin was already pursuing her down through the bushes and trees towards the harbour.
Chapter five
A lthough it was dark between the trees Grania could not stop running. Then suddenly she bumped into
Abe put his finger to his lips, then as he crossed the room to close one of her trunks and strap it up he said in a whisper she could hardly hear:
“Wait here, Lady, ’till I fetch you.”
Grania looked at him in surprise wondering what he meant.
Then he picked up her trunk, put it on his shoulder and walked down the stairs, making no effort to walk quietly but seeming to accentuate the noise of his footsteps.
He must have passed through the hall, then a few minutes later Grania heard him say in his quiet, respectful voice:
“Another drink, Sir?”
“Give it me and get on with the luggage,” Roderick Maigrin snarled, and Grania knew he was sitting just inside the Drawing-Room door.
“Three more trunks, Sir.”
“Tell your mistress to come down and talk to me. I find it boring sitting here alone.”
“Not ready, Sir,” Abe replied, and by this time he was halfway up the stairs.
He closed a second trunk, and took it down.
Once again Grania heard him give Mr. Maigrin another drink.
She thought perhaps Momma Mabel was preparing them in the kitchen, but there was no sound of their voices and Abe came upstairs again. This time he was not empty-handed.
He was carrying a large washing-basket in which clothes after they had been washed were taken out to be attached to the line on which they would dry.
Grania looked at him in surprise as Abe set it down on the floor and without speaking motioned her to get inside it.
She understood, and crouching down in the basket waited while he fetched a sheet from the bed and put it over her, tucking it down round her without speaking.
Picking up the basket by its two handles he started down the stairs.
Now Grania’s heart was beating frantically as she knew that there was every chance even though he had had a lot to drink, of Roderick Maigrin thinking it strange that her clothes which had come from London should be in an open washing-basket.
She was however, aware that there was nothing else in the house in which she could be carried and Abe had taken a chance on the fact that Mr. Maigrin would not be expecting her to escape in such an undignified manner.
Abe reached the last step of the stairs.
Now he was walking across the hall and passing the open door of the Drawing-Room.
Through the open wicker-work Grania could see the lights from several candles and vaguely she thought she could distinguish the large body of the man she loathed sprawled in one of her mother’s comfortable armchairs, a glass in his hand.
She was not sure if she really saw this with her eyes or with her imagination.
Then Abe had passed the door and was walking down the passage to the kitchen and she held her breath, just in case at the very last moment she would hear Roderick Maigrin shouting at them to stop.
But Abe walked on and now he carried her out through the back door and still not stopping moved into the thickness of the bougainvillaea bushes which grew right up to the walls of the house.
Only as he put the basket down on the ground did Grania realise that he had rescued her, and now she could reach the Comte without Roderick Maigrin knowing where she had gone.
Abe pulled off the sheet which had covered her and in the moonlight Grania could see his eyes looking at her anxiously.
“Thank you, Abe,” she whispered. “I will go to the ship.”
Abe nodded and said:
“Bring trunks later.”
As he spoke he pointed and Grania saw that the two trunks he had already brought downstairs were hidden under the bushes, where it would be difficult for anybody who was unsuspecting, to see them.
“Be careful,” she warned and he smiled.
Then as the terror which enveloped her swept over her like a tidal wave, she started to run frantically, wildly, as if Roderick Maigrin was already pursuing her down through the bushes and trees towards the harbour.
Chapter five
A lthough it was dark between the trees Grania could not stop running. Then suddenly she bumped into
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