She went into the kitchen later in the morning to see if she could be of assistance to Mabel. Mr. and Mrs. Sorensen were due back that night and Nils would be coming down to Charlton Heath with them, so there would be six for dinner with Harry, Miss Battersby and herself. She was pleased to discover that Mabel was only too glad to have some help with the preparations for the evening meal since she had planned a rather complicated menu in celebration of the Sorensens' return home.
Looking round the dinner table that night Bobbie was overjoyed to see her mother-in-law looking so brown and fit after the holiday in Sweden. They had arrived just as the meal was about to be served, so Joanna Sorensen was still in the thick high-necked sweater and kilted skirt in which she had travelled. Her hair, still thick and without a trace of grey, was becomingly arranged and her eyes glowed as she looked contentedly round the table. 'Well, we've enjoyed ourselves immensely,' she said as Mabel removed the second course, 'but it's grand to be home again and lovely to see you all, although I'm sorry Bobbie's not looking as fit as I remember her before we left. What a thing to do! Getting chickenpox as soon as my back was turned,' and she leaned across the table and patted Bobbie's hand and smiled at her. 'Still, a long holiday will soon put that right. I expect you'll be off some time next week now Harry and Miss Battersby have finished all the work on those two books of his.'
Bobbie smiled back, but did not reply. She could not look up and meet her husband's eyes. Here was his mother, only in the house a few minutes, and already she knew far more than Bobbie herself.
'Yes, I shall be taking Batty up to London tomorrow, so she can fly back to the sun,' Harry said. 'I've kept her far too long as it is. It's a wonder that husband of hers hasn't been hammering on the door demanding my blood.'
Miss Battersby chuckled delightedly at his joke. 'Oh, he's not likely to do that. He was very glad when I was able to come and help out. He always did say I left you in the lurch in the most reprehensible fashion when we decided to get married.'
'Well, if you hadn't,' said Harry, and he turned his head and looked towards Bobbie, 'I shouldn't be married myself now, so in a way, Batty, old dear, you did me a good turn.'
Bobbie met his eyes for a moment and then looked away hastily. Was it a suspicion of his old tender loving look she had glimpsed, or was he just acting for the benefit of the family round the dining table? His mother was very shrewd and she would soon suspect if things were not as they should be. And then there was Nils, watching with bright gleaming blue eyes. Hard to tell how much he knew or suspected, although without doubt Sean would have regaled him with all the events of that terrible evening when she had gone down with chickenpox.
The next morning was busy. Harry wanted to set off early to get Miss Battersby to London in time to catch the two-thirty plane from Heathrow. Mr. and Mrs. Sorensen had a luncheon engagement and as several people were coming to dinner that evening, including Bobbie's mother and father, there was a fair amount of preparation to be done in the kitchen.
When this was finished Bobbie decided she would go out and have a walk before lunch. Only Nils was left in the house and she had no desire to have a tête-à-tête with him. She was only half-way back when the storm suddenly broke, and although she ran most of the way she was soaking wet when she entered the house through the kitchen door.
At once Mabel, standing by the kitchen stove, let out a cry of horror. 'For goodness' sake, Miss Bobbie, go up at once and get out of those wet clothes! Coming on top of your illness you'll catch your death of cold,' and giving Bobbie time only to take off her wet boots she shooed her out of the room.
Going along the corridor in the direction of the stairs, Bobbie's stockinged feet made no sound. She was trying to stop the drops of water from running off the end of her nose with a very inadequate pocket handkerchief when she became aware of Nils' voice. He was in the library, the door of which was not quite closed, and he was obviously talking to somebody on the telephone.
Unconsciously she stopped and from her vantage point just outside the door Bobbie heard him say, 'Well, you certainly paid him out for the ticking off about the party, old chap. You should just see him and Bobbie now. I won't say they're not speaking to one another, because they are, but you could cut the atmosphere with a knife, and I understand although they're sharing board they're still not sharing bed,' and he laughed unpleasantly.
Bobbie could feel her face beginning to burn as Nils' voice went on, 'Don't worry, I don't feel the slightest bit sorry for him. I always felt we owed old Harry something anyway for snapping her up right under our noses, and if I get the opportunity, which I probably will over the week-end, I'll make the situation a little more uncomfortable for our dear brother. It won't be too difficult to trot Bobbie into some compromising situation, she's so naive and guileless.'
Bobbie was so furious that for a few moments she could neither concentrate on Nils' following words nor move. Her first instinct was to go into the library and box his ears soundly, but then she hesitated. Nils was twice her size and he was hardly likely to let her manhandle him without retaliation. But in any case there was only Mabel and herself in the house, and it was quite possible that Nils would turn any aggressive action on her part to his own advantage. After what she had just heard him saying on the telephone to his twin brother he was capable of anything. This time she wasn't going to be simple enough to play into his hands. Much better that he never even suspected she had heard this conversation, and turning, she fled silently back the way she had come, until she reached the door of Harry's workroom.
Letting herself in, she stood silently in the middle of the room for a moment or two, undecided what to do next, and then as a shiver ran through her she turned towards the bathroom. How sensible and far-seeing of Harry to have this built when he had the rest of the extension done. There were plenty of big towels on the towel rail, she noticed, and yes, even an old bathrobe of Harry's hanging behind the door.
She lost no time in filling the bath with hot water, and getting in, sighed with satisfaction as the chill died out of her body. Bobbie had always done her best thinking in the bath, and she lay there for some twenty minutes or so going over the conversation she had just heard. No doubt now that though it had not been exactly planned, Sean had made the most of that blunder of hers. He had probably told Harry a complete fairy story as to what they had been doing before he arrived and interrupted them, ill though she had obviously been at the time.
Bobbie was still thinking hard, turning over plans in her mind and discarding them all as impractical when she got out of the water and wrapped herself in the towelling robe. She stood on the bathroom floor, a thoughtful look on her face, and then with a nod of determination she went into the other room and going to Harry's desk, picked up the telephone.
Before she could lose her nerve she dialled the number of the R.A.F. camp where Sean was stationed, but asked instead for Liz Willoughby. She was put through almost immediately and if there was a note of surprise in Liz Willoughby's smooth voice, it quickly disappeared. 'I wondered whether you'd meet me. I want to talk to you,' Bobbie said at once without any preliminary explanation.
Liz Willoughby hesitated for a moment on the other end of the line. 'I don't come off duty until three-thirty and I'd have to change out of uniform first, then I could see you. How about meeting for tea somewhere? Or perhaps it would be easier if I came over to Charlton Heath? I've got some transport.'
Bobbie thought hard for a moment. If Liz Willoughby came over in the late afternoon she could scarcely avoid asking her to stay for dinner, but perhaps it would hardly matter as so many other people were invited. She was sure that Mabel would not jib at one more.
Swiftly making up her mind she said, 'That would be fine. And perhaps you'd like to stay for dinner?'
There was if possible even more surprise in Liz Willoughby's voice as she agreed, so in case she changed her mind Bobbie rang off quickly. She sat for a moment or two gazing at the telephone and wondered if she had afte
r all been wise to make this impulsive call. There had not in the past been any love lost between Liz Willoughby and herself, in fact she was more than inclined to think that the other girl was jealous of her. On the other hand, however, Liz too had been a victim of the Sorensen twins' crafty manoeuvres. And if anyone could help her out of the miserable situation she was in, Liz was the most likely. Anyway, she would put it to her.
Mabel raised no objection to another for dinner, and after she had helped by preparing all the vegetables, Bobbie went along and laid the table. As soon as this was done, the flowers arranged, cigarettes put out in preparation for the arrival of the guests and the drawing-room in apple-pie order, Bobbie returned to the kitchen again. 'Do you mind if I take a tray upstairs?'
'Of course not, Miss Bobbie,' Mabel replied promptly, only too glad, Bobbie thought, amused, to have one job taken off her hands. 'I think Mr. Nils has gone out, so we don't need to make anything for him,' Mabel went on as she arranged two joints in a large roasting tin and put it into the oven.
When Liz Willoughby arrived it was only a matter of minutes to make the tea, and the girls settled themselves one on either side of the electric fire in Bobbie's sitting-room upstairs. As soon as tea was poured out and they were nibbling chocolate biscuits, Liz came to the point right away. 'Now for goodness' sake put me out of my misery,' she said, smiling rather warily across at Bobbie. 'I'm eaten up with curiosity as to why you of all people should have phoned me today.'
Bobbie was silent for a moment. She had not reckoned on this immediate frontal attack. She stirred her tea slowly round and round for a second or two, wondering where to begin. And then looking up directly into Liz Willoughby's eyes she decided to be absolutely honest. 'You'll probably think it absolute cheek on my part, but I want your help.'
The other girl raised her eyebrows, but kept silent, waiting for Bobbie to go on. 'The fact is Nils and Sean are doing their best to break up my marriage. You know what they're like by now, Liz. I shouldn't think you have any wrong ideas about their real characters. The fact is I used to go around with them years ago when I was a teenager, and they still think they own me, I didn't realise it at the time, but they were as mad as fire at me marrying Harry, and that party was just about the final straw. As you will guess, Harry was furious about it.'
'I'm not surprised,' Liz said, 'and I'm really ashamed of my own part in it. I've often wanted to ring you up and say how sorry I was for coming up here and making such a mess of your room. Of course I knew it was yours. I could see it was all freshly done. The thing was that Sean had been particularly beastly to me all evening and I just didn't care what I was doing. I really am truly sorry.'
Bobbie could believe her. No one could doubt the sincerity in the eyes of the girl facing her. 'That's all right,' Bobbie was slightly embarrassed as she accepted the apology. 'I always have thought Sean treated you pretty badly, but then the boys are like that. Until recently I never noticed how frightfully immature they still are. They've shared girls, I think, so as to escape being tied down.'
'My goodness,' said Liz, 'has it taken you all this time to tumble to that? I knew the first time I set eyes on Sean that he was a poor type in lots of ways, but I couldn't help myself falling in love with him. I'm still as much a fool over him as ever, despite all he's done. If he so much as lifted a little finger I'd come running. Stupid, isn't it?'
'Well, if you feel like that about him,' Bobbie said, 'there isn't much good explaining what the boys are up to and asking for your help. Sean's already compromised me with Harry, and now I've heard Nils on the phone saying he's going to do his best to trap me into another suspicious situation. I wouldn't put it past him trying to do so tonight. We've quite a few people coming to dinner, including my parents and sister-in-law, and I can imagine him taking an unholy delight in showing me up before them all. Not to mention the disgrace it would be to Harry to find his brand-new bride flirting—or worse—with her brother-in-law.'
Liz burst into a peal of laughter although Bobbie had not really intended to sound amusing. 'Oh, I'm sorry, Bobbie, but it does sound funny, although I suppose for you it isn't amusing at all being in this situation. Don't worry! If you'll explain what you want me to do, I'll try my very best to help you. The thing is if we can turn the tables and make Nils look the idiot, it might put an end to the boys' games for good.'
'And that reminds me,' said Bobbie, 'what about Sean—he doesn't know you're here, does he? I don't think he's coming to dinner tonight.'
'Oh, he certainly won't be doing that,' Liz said, and she smoothed down the dark woollen maxi skirt she was wearing. 'He's up in Scotland on a month's course. Won't be back for ten days or so. So he'll be well out of the way, you don't have to worry. We've only got Nils to deal with. Now then, let's put our heads together and decide exactly what we're going to do if he gets up to any of his tricks.'
CHAPTER EIGHT
By the time they had emptied the tea-pot they had discussed the situation from all aspects, until glancing at the clock Bobbie noticed it was time she changed for dinner. Leaving Liz Willoughby in front of the television set watching the news, she went into the bathroom and had a hasty wash. Standing in front of the long rail in the fitted wardrobe she hesitated over which dress would be most suitable, then suddenly making up her mind, she reached in and pulled out a floor-length dinner gown in a soft pliable midnight blue wool. If she and Liz had to change places in order to baffle Nils, it might be as well if they were wearing similar dark colours. Liz had arrived in a black blouse and skirt. Seen under dim lighting they would be indistinguishable.
When they arrived downstairs the two girls discovered that the long drawing-room was already crowded with guests. Bobbie walked towards her mother and father, drawing Liz Willoughby along with her, and introduced her to her parents, and then first greetings over they began to circulate, saying 'Hullo' to other friends who had been invited to the dinner party to celebrate the return of the Sorensens from Sweden.
Just as Mabel announced dinner, Harry himself came in. 'Sorry I'm late,' he murmured in Bobbie's ear as they went into the long dining-room, 'I didn't think I was going to make it.' She smiled up at him, but had no time to reply as they pulled out their chairs and sat down at the table. It was later back in the drawing-room when she was going to the coffee trolley to replenish her father's cup that Nils caught her by the wrist.
'I wonder if you can come to the library for a few minutes?' he asked urgently, and Bobbie looked up into his face with its anxious expression.
She gazed silently at him for a moment or two. 'Can't it wait until the morning, Nils?'
'No, there's something I absolutely must ask you, and I shall be going up to town in the morning probably long before you're up. Come on, Bobbie, be a sport. I'll only take a couple of minutes of your time.' How well he acted, Bobbie thought to herself as she nodded and turned away. She passed Liz Willoughby as she took the coffee cup to the other end of the room where her mother and father were sitting, and stopped just long enough to say, 'He wants to see me in the library in two or three minutes.'
Liz, whose dinner partner was out of earshot, got up immediately. 'That's my cue. Nils doesn't know it, but Nemesis is about to strike…' and she solemnly winked at Bobbie before turning and threading her way through the people towards the door.
Bobbie knew that Nils would not move until he had seen her leaving the room, so a few minutes later, murmuring an excuse to her parents, she got up and went out of the room. Instead of going to the library, however, she made her way immediately to the kitchen where Mabel was still at work. There was no likelihood of Nils coming in here, and Mabel was only too glad to see her and have an opportunity to make one of her caustic comments about the meal and the people who had attended it.
'I can't think why Madam has to have all these coming home parties and going away parties,' she said half glumly, half defensively as Bobbie pulled out a stool from under the table and sat down to listen. 'All that work, and I'm sure half o
f them only come for the food and drink.'
'Oh, come now,' smiled Bobbie, 'you know most of the people here tonight are devoted to Aunt Jo and delighted to see her looking so well after her holiday. We've all missed her, now you must admit we have, Mabel.'
'Oh, certainly I've missed her. And I'm sure you have too, Miss Bobbie. The house doesn't seem the same without her comings and goings. No, it's not that. We all go to such a lot of trouble for these occasions and somehow or other as I get older it doesn't seem worth it.'
Bobbie got up and gave the elderly woman's shoulders a squeeze. 'You're just feeling tired, Mabel,' she said. 'Why don't you leave those things? We'll sort them out before we go to bed.'
'Yes, I know you will.' Mabel looked affectionately towards Bobbie, who had returned to perch on her stool. 'Best thing Mr. Harry ever did was to marry you and get you permanently settled here. You're the real bright spark in my morning, many a time, I can tell you.'
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