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“Oh, that!” Anne dismissed it with a shrug. “The superintendent isn’t likely to come up against anyone from there. It would be an extraordinary coincidence if he did.”
“Coincidences happen.”
“Rhoda, you’re being extraordinary about this. Fuss, fuss, fuss.”
“I’m terribly sorry, darling. Only you know what the police might be like if they thought you were—well—hiding things.”
“They won’t know. Who’s to tell them? Nobody knows but you.”
It was the second time she had said those words. At this second repetition her voice changed a little—something queer and speculative came into it.
“Oh, dear, I wish you would,” sighed Rhoda unhappily.
She looked guiltily at Anne, but Anne was not looking at her. She was sitting with a frown on her face, as though working out some calculation.
“Rather fun, Major Despard turning up,” said Rhoda.
“What? Oh, yes.”
“Anne, he is attractive. If you don’t want him, do, do, do hand him over to me!”
“Don’t be absurd, Rhoda. He doesn’t care tuppence for me.”
“Then why does he keep on turning up? Of course he’s keen on you. You’re just the sort of distressed damsel that he’d enjoy rescuing. You look so beautifully helpless, Anne.”
“He’s equally pleasant to both of us.”
“That’s only his niceness. But if you don’t want him, I could do the sympathetic friend act—console his broken heart, etc., etc., and in the end I might get him. Who knows?” Rhoda concluded inelegantly.
“I’m sure you’re quite welcome to him, my dear,” said Anne, laughing.
“He’s got such a lovely back to his neck,” sighed Rhoda. “Very brick red and muscular.”
“Darling, must you be so mawkish?”
“Do you like him, Anne?”
“Yes, very much.”
“Aren’t we prim and sedate? I think he likes me a little—not as much as you, but a little.”
“Oh, but he does like you,” said Anne.
Again there was an unusual note in her voice, but Rhoda did not hear it.
“What time is our sleuth coming?” she asked.
“Twelve,” said Anne. She was silent for a minute or two, then she said, “It’s only half past ten now. Let’s go out on the river.”
“But isn’t—didn’t—didn’t Despard say he’d come round about eleven?”
“Why should we wait in for him? We can leave a message with Mrs. Astwell which way we’ve gone, and he can follow us along the towpath.”
“In fact, don’t make yourself cheap, dear, as mother always said!” laughed Rhoda. “Come on, then.”
She went out of the room and through the garden door. Anne followed her.
Major Despard called at Wendon Cottage about ten minutes later. He was before his time, he knew, so he was a little surprised to find both girls had already gone out.
