Lydia was obediently silent.
‘We must soften your father’s heart!’ declared Pen at length.
Lydia looked doubtful. ‘Yes, I should like that of all things, but how?’
‘Why, by making him grateful to Piers, of course!’
‘But why should he be grateful to Piers? He says Piers is a young cub.’
‘Piers,’ said Pen, ‘must rescue you from deadly peril.’
‘Oh no, please!’ faltered Lydia, shrinking. ‘I should be frightened! And just think how dreadful it would be if he didn’t rescue me!’
‘What a little goose you are!’ said Pen scornfully. ‘There won’t be any real danger!’
‘But if there is no danger, how can Piers –’
‘Piers shall rescue you from me!’ said Pen.
Lydia blinked at her. ‘I don’t understand. How can Piers –’
‘Do stop saying “How can Piers”!’ Pen begged. ‘We must make your father believe that I am a penniless young manwithout any prospects at all, and then we will run away together!’
‘But I don’t want to run away with you!’
‘No, stupid, and I don’t want to run away with you! It will just be a Plot. Piers must ride after us, and catch us, and restore you to your Papa. And he will be so pleased that he will let you marry Piers after all! Because Piers has very good prospects, you know.’
‘Yes, but you are forgetting Sir Jasper,’ argued Lydia.
‘We can’t possibly be plagued by Sir Jasper,’ said Pen impatiently. ‘Besides, he is away. Now, don’t make any more objections! I must go back to the George, and warn Richard. And I will consult with Piers as well, and I daresay we shall have it all arranged in a trice. I will meet you in the spinney this evening, to tell you what you must do.’
‘Oh no, no, no!’ shuddered Lydia. ‘Not the spinney! I shall never set foot there again!’
‘Well, here, then, since you are so squeamish. By the way, did you tell your Papa the whole? I mean, how you saw Captain Trimble kill the stammering man?’
‘Yes, of course I did, and he says I must tell it to Mr Philips! It is so dreadful for me! To think that my troubles had put it out of my head!’
‘What a tiresome girl you are!’ exclaimed Pen. ‘You should not have said a word about it! Ten to one, we shall get into a tangle now, because Richard has already told Mr Philipshisstory, and I have told him mine, and now you are bound to say something quite different. Did you mention Richard to your Papa?’
‘No,’ confessed Lydia, hanging her head. ‘I just said that I ran away.’
‘Oh well, in that case perhaps there will be no harm done!’ said Pen optimistically. ‘I am going now. I will meet you here again after dinner.’
‘But what if they watch me, and I cannot slip away?’ cried Lydia, trying to detain her.
Pen had climbed on to the wall, and now prepared to jump down into the road. ‘You must think of something,’ she said sternly, and vanished from Miss Daubenay’s sight.
When Pen reached the George Sir Richard had not only finished his breakfast, but was on the point of sallying forth in search of his errant charge. She came into the parlour, flushed and rather breathless, and said impetuously: ‘Oh, Richard, such an adventure! I have such a deal to tell you! All our plans must be changed!’
‘This is very sudden!’ said Sir Richard. ‘May I ask where you have been?’
‘Yes, of course,’ said Pen, seating herself at the table, and spreading butter lavishly on a slice of bread. ‘I have been with that stupid girl. You would not believe that anyone could be so silly, sir!’
‘I expect I should. What has she been doing, and why did you go to see her?’
‘Well, it’s a long story, andmostconfused!’
‘In that case,’ said Sir Richard, ‘perhaps I shall unravel it more easily if you do not tell it to me with your mouth full.’
