One Summer by Ruby M. Ayres

Author:Ruby M. Ayres
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781448203314
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2019-11-23T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter XVI

It is a strange fact that sometimes a great shock will steady one’s nerves and give composure when it is least expected, and so it was with Gina. She had never felt calmer or more self-reliant than when she stood in the bedroom of the little inn face to face with this thing that had happened.

She was faintly amazed at herself for not having suspected it. Knowing Ronnie as she knew him, it was extraordinary that she had trusted him even to the extent of this day’s outing; and yet—she had had no choice; when had he given her a choice where he was concerned?

Even a year ago he had rushed her breathlessly off her feet and plunged her into disaster, and six months ago she had been no wiser when she had foolishly imagined she could buy his silence and trust to his honour.

And now he had beaten her again.

For one moment she almost lost her composure; she closed her eyes and said, ‘Jumbo,’ as if the very sound of his name would have power to summon him to her assistance.

But it was only for a moment, then she steadied her nerves. She went to the window and pushed it open. It was difficult to see anything for the wraith-like mist, but a faint glow from the saloon-bar window below helped a little.

It was not very far to the ground, and a little to the left she could make out the indistinct shape of a sloping roof and a gutter.

She went back and locked the door behind her. She knew it would be useless to go down and face Ronnie; making a scene would not help her; no doubt he had already made his story good to the people of the inn. Her only hope was to get away.

She had left her coat downstairs in the parlour, but the thought of the cold night did not frighten her; there was only one thing now that frightened her, and from that thing she meant to escape at any cost. The girl came tapping at the door.

‘Please, ma’am, supper is ready when you are.’

‘I am coming in a moment.’

But it took less than a moment to scramble through that narrow window.

‘Thank God, I am thin,’ Gina thought with an insane desire to laugh. It was difficult to find a foothold on the sloping roof at the side—once she nearly fell; she went down on her knees, hung by her hands for a moment to the gutter that bent and creaked ominously beneath her weight, then dropped about six feet to the ground.

She landed safely on her feet, conscious of a bruised wrist and a fast-beating heart, stood for a moment listening, then, as she fancied she heard a door open somewhere, she turned and ran, the wraith-like mist swallowing her up.

She must have gone a mile down the narrow, dangerous road before she stopped, and stood panting and trembling a little, trying in vain to pierce the grey veil which seemed to shut her completely off from the world.

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