Gone Away Page 4

  “Your father a clergyman?” Miss Hanny repeated with a satisfaction which she found hard to disguise. Entirely discarding the idea of any other reference, she continued: “That would be quite enough. I have the greatest respect for the Church. Your dear father has no objection to you travelling so far? Dear me, how times have changed!” She heaved a sigh, and Patricia was glad to notice that she did not await an answer, but continued speaking. “I hope your father will drop me a line; just a mere formality, you know,” she added hastily.

  “That will be quite all right,” Patricia assured her companion, with an inward hope that her parents wouldn’t raise any objection. After all, there shouldn’t be any difficulty. Her father had seen little enough of her during the past few years; it couldn’t make much difference to him if she remained in England or journeyed to Timbuktu.

  Miss Hanny rose briskly to her feet. “Of course, I can’t decide anything in a hurry, but I’ll let you know. Should I decide to entrust Maimie to your care, there will naturally be a number of details to discuss.” Her searching eyes sought Patricia’s. “You understand I shall want you to carry out my wishes absolutely.” Without awaiting Patricia’s reaction to her somewhat threatening tone, she added, “Now I suggest you meet my niece.”

  Patricia watched the older woman as she crossed the room to ring the bell, and, on the arrival of a maid, commanded her niece’s presence.

  Whatever picture Patricia’s mind had conjured up as to the outward appearance of Maimie Hanny, the reality was something more than delightful. As the girl stood in the doorway for a brief second before entering the room, she seemed to Patricia like a perfect water color framed by the door. She scarcely looked her twenty-one years, but more like a child dressed with sophistication far beyond her age. A deep blue frock of some lightly woven material clung closely to her figure, revealing the immature lines of her body and limbs. The dark material accentuated the bright gold of her hair, which clung in soft curls to her head making a halo for the childish face of a Dresden china type of beauty.

  “Auntie ... you wanted me?”

  Patricia felt surprise when the picture spoke, and was immediately charmed by the clear tones of the girl’s voice.

  “I want to introduce you to Miss Dare. She is travelling to Singapore early in the year. I am considering her application to chaperon you.”

  Maimie Hanny’s face broke into smiles as she advanced toward Patricia with extended hand. “So you’re one of the answers to Auntie’s advertisement?” A frown momentarily clouded the smooth surface of her forehead. “I’ve told Auntie over and over again I can quite well look after myself, but she’s determined to deliver me safely to my future husband. I do hope you won’t find looking after me a bother,” she ended a trifle naively.

  “I’ve told you nothing is decided. I am only considering Miss Dare’s offer,” Miss Hanny broke in sharply.

  Quite regardless of her aunt’s interruption, Maimie Hanny continued addressing herself to Patricia. “I suppose you’ve been East before? I’ll love living there, won’t I?”

  “I haven’t asked Miss Dare anything about her experience of travelling or her knowledge of the East,” Miss Hanny broke in primly. “I propose to do that now.”

  “I’m afr—” Before Patricia could articulate the words, Maimie had broken in.

  “Of course you know all about the East. I ... heard about you at the Academy. The Academy of Music, you know. I work there.” Before Patricia could recover from her surprise, Maimie rattled on: “One of the girls there knew your name at once. I happened to mention that a Miss Dare had replied to Auntie’s advert, and she told me all about you.” Maimie laughed, while a flush of excitement crept into her cheeks. “She said you were often travelling backwards and forwards, and that you would be the very person to look after me,” she ended breathlessly.

  Just in time Patricia caught the agonized appeal in the younger girl’s eyes. What did it all mean? There was only one thing of which she was absolutely certain, and that was that Maimie was urging her to silence, begging her not to deny the story. With relief she heard Miss Hanny’s voice, and realized that for a few moments, she was spared the necessity of speaking.

  “You didn’t tell me you’d heard anything of Miss Dare.” There was a note of reproach in Miss Hanny’s tone. “It’s a great advantage that you know the country,” she added somewhat grudgingly, turning to Patricia. “Then perhaps we can leave the rest until I am quite sure whether I shall entrust you with the responsibility.” She rose from her chair as if dismissing the subject, and, turning to her niece, concluded, “See Miss Dare to the door, Maimie dear.” She held out her hand to Patricia. “Give me a few days to think over the matter.” She smiled. “Although I must say, I haven’t much doubt in my mind.”

  Patricia bade Miss Hanny goodbye, then followed Maimie to the door. It was not until they were in the hall, and well out of earshot, that Maimie spoke, and then her voice was a hushed undertone. “I never heard a word about you really. You twigged that, didn’t you?” Without awaiting a reply, she added, “Directly I saw you I realized that you were the only one of the people who have called that I could bear to go with.”

  “But your aunt ... I’ll have to tell her,” Patricia insisted.

  “You’ll do nothing of the kind. I’ll make sure that she fixes on you, and I’ll take jolly good care she doesn’t see you again.” She leaned confidently toward her companion. “Send on the wretched reference she wants, then tell her you’ll be away until the day we sail. All the necessary arrangements can be done by letter,” Maimie insisted with assurance. “We’ll have a heavenly trip, I know we will.” She took Patricia’s hand and squeezed it impulsively. “Be a sport.”

  There was a pleading quality in her tone that Patricia found hard to resist. After all, Maimie was right; whether she was an experienced traveller or not, in these enlightened times she felt quite capable of escorting Maimie safely to Singapore.

  “Are you going out to be married too?” Maimie questioned eagerly.

  “Good heavens, no!” Patricia laughed and with an impulse she couldn’t quite understand, confessed to her companion, “I’m going out to take a chance. I saw the advertisement. I hate my present job; I’ve always longed for an opportunity to travel; the temptation was more than I could resist. I’m just praying that when I get there, something will turn up.”

  “You’re a sport!” Maimie turned a pair of admiring eyes on her companion. “I would never have had the courage to do a thing like that.” She sighed enviously. “But, then, you’re free; independent I suppose. I’ve been under Auntie’s thumb for so long I’ve never had a chance to do anything really worthwhile. Thank goodness I’ll soon be married. Seymour Warinder is an angel.” She spread her arms above her head in an attitude of abandon. “Thank goodness I’m really going to live at last.”

  “Your aunt told me you were going out to be married. I hope you’ll be happy.” Patricia held out her hand. “I’d better be going now. I hope I’ll hear from Miss Hanny soon and I hope she’ll have me.”

  “I’ll make sure of that. You’re coming with me, don’t make any mistake.” As she opened the door for Patricia, Maimie leaned toward her as she stood on the doorstep ready to go, and her voice became more serious. “I hope you find a job out there ... or perhaps a husband. That ought to be easy enough; you’re very attractive,” she ended candidly.

  Patricia’s pale face flushed—she wasn’t sure whether at the suggestion or the compliment, but she knew that her heart was full of conflicting emotions as she hurried down the broad stone steps.

  CHAPTER SIX

  It was not until the boat train was preparing to steam out from St. Pancras that Patricia renewed her acquaintance with Miss Hanny and her niece. True to her word, Maimie had persuaded her aunt to engage Patricia, and, as she had promised, engineered matters so that any further meetings between the two were avoided. Patricia had reason to believe that the Rev. Dare’s reference played no small part
in assisting Miss Hanny’s choice of companion for her niece. No sooner had she been in receipt of the letter than Patricia had received an effusive answer engaging her, and enclosing first-class tickets for the journey. As the two girls stood on the platform beside the door of their compartment, Miss Hanny bombarded them with final instructions.

  “Now, Maimie dear, mind you cable me the moment you arrive. I shan’t have a moment’s peace until I know you are safely there. I suppose Seymour quite understands about meeting you?” she inquired for the hundredth time.

  “Of course, Auntie,” Maimie repeated patiently. “He understands perfectly. He will be on the quay at Singapore,” she repeated, as if she were explaining to a troublesome child. “I showed you his letter; it was all quite clear.”

  “It would be dreadful if he didn’t,” Miss Hanny exclaimed fussily; then, turning to Patricia, who stood silently by Maimie’s side, continued speaking. “Mind you don’t leave Maimie until she is safely married. I explained in my letter, I will pay your expenses while you remain with my niece. You understand my wishes, don’t you?”

  “Perfectly, Miss Hanny. I shall remain with your niece until after her wedding,” Patricia promised.

  Miss Hanny glanced up and down the crowded platform. “It must be nearly time for the train to leave. Dear me, I can’t really believe you’re going; it seems fantastic! To think it all happened through that stay in Harrogate! I wish I’d never gone near the place,” she exclaimed with agitation.

  “Auntie dear,” Maimie pressed the older woman’s arm affectionately, “don’t say that. I expect Seymour and I were intended for one another. Even if you hadn’t taken me to Harrogate, we should have met somewhere.”

  “Why you had to fall in love with a man living in such an outlandish place, I can’t understand.” Miss Hanny wiped away a tear. “Surely there are plenty of nice Englishmen about.”

  “He is English,” Maimie insisted. “People out East usually retire quite young. Seymour and I will buy a nice country house in England and settle there before long; anyway, we’ll be home on leave in two years, and then you’ll see plenty of me,” she added reassuringly.

  “Dear me, the platform is emptying; you’d better be getting in the carriage.” Harriet Hanny urged the two girls toward their compartment as the porter began to slam the doors. “You’ll be off in a minute or two. She leaned toward the open window of the carriage and kissed her niece. “Take care of yourself, my dear.” She dabbed her eyes with her handkerchief. “I hope you’ll be very happy. Mind you cable me, and I’ll expect long letters with all the news.”

  Maimie barely had time to return her aunt’s embrace before the train slid into motion. Leaning from the window, she waved her hand until the familiar figure of Harriet Hanny was out of sight, hidden by the crowds of relatives and friends of the other passengers, all waving and calling frantic farewell messages.

  “Thank goodness that’s over! I hate saying goodbye, don’t you?” She took a compact from her bag and began to powder her nose with careful precision. “Auntie is such a fusspot. She’s a darling in her way, but really, these last few days she’s been driving me mad with her ‘Mind you don’t do this’ and ‘mind you don’t do that.’ ” She replaced the compact in her handbag. “Really free at last! You can’t imagine what that means, especially after having lived with Auntie.”

  Patricia laughed. “Surely she wasn’t as bad as all that? Of course I haven’t seen much of her, and I must say she struck me as a bit Victorian. Going to the expense of paying another fare, for instance, seemed absurd. Why, most girls today would travel anywhere alone.”

  ‘Of course it’s ridiculous!” Maimie scoffed. “But, then, that’s Auntie all over. She will never recognize that I’ve grown up; she still treats me like a schoolgirl. I’ve never been able to make any friends of my own age simply because I’ve never been allowed to do the things that other girls do. I’ve spent half my life travelling from one health resort to another with Auntie. It was the greatest stroke of luck that I met Seymour.” She leaned toward her companion. “You’ll like him. He’s a dear. He was home on leave, and came to Harrogate for a week’s stay; his invalid mother was there. His mother had got friendly with Auntie, so that’s how we met. I can hardly realize that I’m really on my way to marry him—on my way to the East,” she ended ecstatically.

  “It is wonderful. Not the marrying part; I’m not going out to marry.” Patricia laughed. “But I find it just as exciting, the very fact of going out at all!”

  “I suppose I can call you Patricia, and please call me Maimie. After all, we’re going to be friends, aren’t we?” Maimie leaned impulsively toward her companion. “I’m awfully glad you are with me. I hated the idea of a stranger hanging around me, but I like you already.”

  “Thanks, and I’m sure I’m going to like you, and I shall always be grateful to you for persuading your aunt to accept me,” Patricia responded with sincerity.

  “I didn’t have to do a terrible lot of persuasion.” Maimie’s eyes twinkled mischievously. “I think being a clergyman’s daughter did the trick!” Her blue eyes wandered round the compartment. “Aren’t we lucky to have a carriage to ourselves?”

  “I don’t think we shall keep it to ourselves; that suitcase on the rack doesn’t belong to us. I believe that paper on the corner seat is meant to be a reservation.” Patricia indicated a folded paper lying on the upholstered seat.

  Maimie pouted her scarlet lips. “Bother! I believe you’re right. Some awful old fossil, I suppose. I do hope we get friendly with some nice people on the ship. I believe you can have some wonderful times on board. It’s the first time in my life I’ve ever been on my own, and I do want to make the most of it.”

  “I expect we shall. I hope you won’t find me a spoil sport,” Patricia broke in anxiously. “I’ve always had all the freedom I’ve wanted, but somehow I’ve never had a very gay time, never made very cheery friends.”

  “I can’t imagine you a spoil sport.” Maimie laughed. “You’re quite lovely. I should think you’ve got admirers in plenty. I can’t understand why you’re not engaged.”

  “Well, I’m not.” Patricia’s eyes held a far-away look. “Once I thought I was in love. That was ages ago...” She broke off abruptly and added irrelevantly, “I don’t think I’m very attractive. Much too black-eyed and sallow.”

  “Sallow!” Maimie echoed with undisguised surprise. “You surely don’t call your lovely complexion sallow, and I think your eyes are a wonderful color, so dark and cool looking,” she added admiringly.

  “I’ve never really thought much about it,” Patricia admitted. She took out her cigarette case. “Have a cigarette, or don’t you smoke?”

  “Oh, yes, I do.” Maimie took a cigarette from the proffered case. “When Aunt Harriet’s not about. Think of it! I’ll never bother about Auntie’s likes and dislikes again.”

  Patricia held a lighted match to the tip of her companion’s cigarette. “You’ll have to mind your P’s and Q’s when next you’re home on leave; don’t develop too many bad habits,” she laughingly warned her companion.

  “I’ll be a married woman then. Auntie won’t be able to boss me any more.” Maimie stopped speaking as a tall figure in a burberry entered the compartment from the corridor, and seated himself in the near corner.

  The new arrival picked up his newspaper and, unfolding it, buried himself behind the screen. There had scarcely been time for the two girls to take much note of their fellow traveller’s appearance, but even in that moment, they were aware that he was by no means the old fossil that Maimie had predicted, but a man in his early thirties, slightly built but muscular, fair skinned and clean shaven, with a crop of reddish fair hair just visible above the obscuring sheets of the newspaper.

  Conversation seemed difficult in the presence of a stranger, so Patricia and Maimie of one accord picked up the magazines Miss Hanny had thoughtfully provided them and made some attempt at reading. Patricia found it quite impossible
to concentrate on the opened page before her. Her eyes wandered to the sombre outskirts of Condon visible through the windows, but she was hardly aware of what she saw. Her thoughts sang to the rhythm of the engine; she was on her way to the East, on her way to new sights, new worlds ... forgetfulness! What awaited her there she dared not ask, dared not for one moment question.

  “I wonder what time we are due at Tilbury?” Maimie’s words roused Patricia from her reverie.

  “I’ve no idea, but we surely can’t be far from the docks now; the train was only supposed to take just over an hour.”

  “You haven’t taken this trip before?” the stranger asked with some curiosity, his eyes straying to Maimie as if for the first time he was aware of the alluring prettiness of his fellow traveller.

  “No, neither of us has ever travelled before—at least, not as far as the East,” Maimie amended, her lips curving provocatively. “We’re both terribly thrilled. Sea travel is wonderful, isn’t it?”

  The stranger folded his paper as if preparing to enter into a discussion the length of which would allow no further time for reading. “May I introduce myself, as we shall be seeing quite a lot of one another during the next four weeks? My name is Claud Burny.” His voice was low and resonant.

  “I’m Miss Hanny, and my friend,” Maimie indicated Patricia, “Miss Dare.”

  “That’s better! Now we know each other.” Claud Burny smiled with easy charm. “I hope we shall all have a very pleasant voyage.”

  “I know I’m going to,” Maimie said with certainty. “I intend to have the most heavenly time of my life.”

  Claud Burny could not resist laughing at Maimie’s childish candor. “That is certainly the spirit!” He turned to Patricia, who had been a silent witness of the little comedy. “Are you also so certain of the future?”