Free The Paper Princess by Marion Chesney

his throat. “No, sir,” he said. “That we cannot do.”
    Another great peal of thunder rocked the castle.
    Mr. Palfrey stood panting with rage. He could not fire them all. And he longed for their admiration and respect.
    He forced a laugh. “I was a trifle overset,” he said with a ghastly grin. “Get to your room, Felicity. I shall talk about this later.”
    Felicity flew up the stairs, straight to the nursery, where she threw herself against Miss Chubb's well-upholstered bosom, and cried her eyes out. At long last, she calmed down and gave Miss Chubb the whole story.
    “I have no hope,” said Felicity with a pathetic little sob. “No hope at all.”
    “I have been talking to John Tremayne in your absence,” said Miss Chubb. “We have a plan. We are going to run away tonight—you, me and John.”

Chapter Five
    “This is mad. Quite mad,” said Felicity Channing with a shiver. “How on earth did I agree to such a mad scheme?”
    She stood on top of the cliffs, a little way away from the castle, while the wind howled and the thunder crashed and tumbled about the heavens. A blinding sheet of lightning showed a rope tied firmly to a rock.
    At the end of that rope hung John Tremayne, staging the “accident.”
    Miss Chubb's plan was being put into operation. The governess had been planning it for some time, never really thinking they would do it, until Felicity's distress forced her to turn the dream into reality. The terrible weather conditions were perfect, and they might never again have such a good chance.
    Felicity had left a note to say she could not bear to marry the baron and was running away with Miss Chubb and John Tremayne. They had packed one trunk with their clothes and another trunk that John had hurled over the cliff after opening the lid and removing some of the clothes.
    They had gone to a part of the cliff that had fallen into the sea, the land broken away by the force of the deluge. John had noticed this section of cliff before and knew it was only a matter of time before it gave way. Before he had let himself down over the cliff, he had dug deep gouges in the earth with his hands to make it look like someone had desperately tried to save themselves. Now he was leaving torn scraps of clothing caught in rocks and bushes on the way down, as well as some of the contents of the trunk.
    As abruptly as it had started, the storm stopped, the huge black mass of clouds sailing away overhead on a high wind. The moon shone down.
    “Oh, hurry,” breathed Felicity.
    But John's head was already appearing back over the cliff's edge. He clambered onto safe ground, untied the rope, and picking up the heavy jewel box, slung it up onto his shoulder. Felicity and Miss Chubb followed behind, carrying the trunk with their clothes between them.
    Felicity and Miss Chubb were dressed in their men's disguises. The going over the soggy, uneven ground was rough, and Felicity was beginning to wish they had thrown this trunk over the cliff as well when they came to a carriage and horses, hidden behind a thick stand of trees.
    “Where did you get this carriage, John?” whispered Felicity, trying to stop her teeth from chattering.
    “I went over to Baxeter and bought the lot. I gave a false name, of course.”
    “But where did you get the money?”
    “Miss Chubb's savings,” said John.

    “So, you had all this planned for some time,” said Felicity.
    “Don't talk,” said John urgently. “Get in the carriage.”
    Felicity and Miss Chubb climbed in. The carriage dipped and swayed as John climbed up on the box.
    “Where are we going?” asked Felicity as the carriage moved off.
    “Falmouth,” said Miss Chubb. “It is at Falmouth that you take up your new identity.”
    “New ... ? Miss Chubb, you had better start at the beginning and tell me what you and John have planned.”
    “Well, it's like this,” said Miss Chubb, her voice sounding oddly youthful and excited. “Although I hoped the baron might not