North from Rome by Helen Macinnes

Author:Helen Macinnes [MacInnes, Helen]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9781781164372
Publisher: Titan
Published: 2012-07-14T16:00:00+00:00

16

Lammiter slipped into the courtyard. Maria was coming away from the front gates, heading in his direction as if she would now attend to the garage doors. She didn’t catch sight of him until he had reached the corner of the building. She gave a hoarse little scream; and the princess, walking very slowly towards the house, halted and turned round.

Lammiter stepped into the driveway. “Good evening,” he said to the frightened Maria, “Or good morning, perhaps.”

“Oh!” the princess said. For once, she had nothing else to say. But as Maria rushed to her side (whether to defend or to be saved, Lammiter was not quite certain), the princess took command. “Quiet, Maria! Go to the house.” And then, as Maria retreated unwillingly, the princess said, “Good morning it is, Mr. Lammiter.” Maria, more reassured, covered another ten feet towards the villa, but there she stood, loyally disobedient, her face masked in peasant suspicion.

The princess looked at him searchingly. She was angry. “All gates are locked. Am I to believe you climbed over my wall?”

He looked down at his blackish-grey trousers liberally streaked with dust. He tried to brush it off. “I’m sorry—” he said awkwardly. “I just had to see you.” He hoped he sounded like a man who had indeed climbed a wall.

“The usual way to enter is to ring the bell at the gate,” she said.

“I didn’t want to waken everyone at this time of night.”

“Most thoughtful of you.” She was still acid. “And why were you determined to wake me?”

“I saw your car drive off.”

She hesitated. “Indeed? And so you came to warn me? How very kind,” she said mockingly. She obviously believed that attack was the best defence.

He tried a little attack of his own. “Pirotta was driving.”

“Oh?” She stood very still.

“And Eleanor was with him, wasn’t she?”

“It’s very late for questions, Mr. Lammiter. Come and see me tomorrow.” She smiled, almost kindly, and turned away.

“You have one habit I like,” he said. “If you can’t tell the truth, you don’t tell lies.”

She halted and faced him. “Why are you here?”

He said, “Yesterday at Doney’s you invited me to stay in Italy. I’ve decided to accept. That’s all.”

“I gave you more than an invitation. I gave you warning.” She suddenly burst out, “Why didn’t you talk sense into Eleanor’s head and make her leave?”

“She was leaving today.”

“Too late, too late,” she said angrily. “Why, why did she ever come to Rome, why did Luigi have to fall in love with her? Why didn’t he marry Rosana, and there would have been none of this trouble?” She halted abruptly and controlled her emotions. “Stop glaring at me like that! Do you think I’d ever have let Luigi take my car if I didn’t believe we could still save Eleanor?”

“From what?”

The princess hesitated. “I only know that there is danger. She knows too much about matters that do not concern her. She must be hidden. For her own safety. Just a few days, that’s all. Please believe me, Mr.

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