“Good heavens, Apple, what are you thinking? You must run and conceal yourself at once!”
“No! I want to hear what is said. They won’t see me, I’m persuaded. I never even knew there was a door here.”
“Oh, very well, if you must.” Georgy went back into the parlour and made ready to close the door. “But I doubt they will even come up here. Berryman will deny me. He knows better than to allow undesirable persons to come in.”
“He won’t put Marjorie off. What will you say, Georgy? You must decide at once.”
“Say? Goodness, I don’t know.”
“Well, think!”
Georgy’s blue orbs sparkled. “Oh, I do know. I shall deny knowing anything about you, of course. If I refuse to acknowledge knowing you, what can this Marjorie of yours do?”
“I don’t know, but I feel sure she will think of something,” said Apple on a pessimistic note. Footsteps sounded on the stairs, and her fright revived. “Close the door, Georgy!”
Georgy hesitated. “If I can’t put them off, you’d best run down to the kitchen and hide in any event, Apple.”
“Yes, yes, but someone is coming! Close the door quickly!” As the light began to fade as the door came to, she added, “And sit down! Pretend you are resting. You are not expecting visitors.”
“Yes, all right. Now be quiet, Apple!”
The light vanished and Apple was plunged into stifling gloom.
For several moments, Apple was completely disoriented, closed in as she was without light or sound. A penetrating chill crept into her feet, and her fright augmented the feeling of being stifled.
Muffled sounds came from the other side of the panel door. She put her ear to the wood and recognised Berryman in the slight distortion of his voice.
“So I said, my lady, but the lady claimed cousinship to Miss Greenaway, and as she has the same name —”
“Good heavens, Berryman, don’t say you told her Miss Greenaway is here?”
“Certainly not, my lady. I merely desired them to wait in the hall while I ascertained —”
“You should have said I was indisposed. Or dead!”
Apple threw up her eyes in the darkness.Georgy, for heaven’s sake!But Berryman was patience itself.
“If you will give me leave, my lady, I was about to explain that I gave no hint of your ladyship’s presence or otherwise. I told them I would ascertain whether anyone was able to receive them.”
Apple let out a silent breath of relief, but Georgy’s was clearly audible.
“Thank goodness! Well, go and tell them no one can see them at all.”
Berryman’s footsteps retreated. There was a swish and patter and the panel door was jerked open.
“There, Apple, you can come out. Isn’t Berryman wonderful? They will be gone in a flash.”
Blinking in the sudden light, Apple remained just where she was. “Not until we hear the carriage and I know they’ve truly gone.”
“Berryman will get rid of them, never fear. After all, they can’t force their way into my parlour, can they?”
Apple agreed to this, though her doubts were not entirely suppressed.
“I’ll watch for them coming out,” Georgy said, running to the window.
But any notion Apple had indulged of emerging from her hiding place was quashed by the unmistakeable sounds of an altercation coming from downstairs.
“I knew it! Marjorie is too stubborn to take no for an answer.”
