Page:The Climber (Benson).djvu/320

310 "Yes, yes," she said, "I am Lady Brayton. What is it?"

The next moment she had put the receiver back into its place, and she turned white to the lips. Shapstone and Sons had already been engaged by Lord Brayton to instruct his counsel in his divorce suit. It was therefore impossible

And then she had put back the receiver. So she was really in the middle of the breakers which had wrecked so many gaudy pleasure-boats.

But it was not long before her splendid vitality rallied again. There was another firm who, she thought she remembered, had once done something for Madge. So at least a story ran; they had averted danger in some very clever way. And before the early November dusk had closed down on that Friday afternoon she found herself shaking hands with Mr. Baxter, and, soon after, telling him the story which had seemed so simple and straightforward. He was as unlike as possible to what Lucia had imagined. There was nothing ferrety or fox-faced about him; he was genial and broad-shouldered, of pink complexion, and rather like a prosperous country parson. He heard her in dead silence.

"I understand, then, that his lordship was in the house when Mr. Lindsay left it," he said, "and that he met you on the stairs some time after twelve, and very soon after Mr. Lindsay had gone down. You had gone up to bed, I think you said, and came down in—in deshabille. That is so?"

"Yes; I have told you," said Lucia.

"And do you suppose that anybody saw Mr. Lindsay leave the house?" he asked. "If not, why do you think he knocked—violently, I think you said?"

"There was my husband's motor outside," said she. "It is probable that he recognized it. He may have spoken to the chauffeur."

Another question.

"Did you give any reason to the Duchess of Wiltshire for leaving her house a day sooner than you had planned to?"

Lucia got up.

"Yes," she said, "I—I told her that we were going abroad a day sooner than we had planned."

Mr. Baxter neatly extinguished the end of his cigarette.

"And that was the case?" he said.

Lucia did not at once reply, and he spoke again.