Free The China Governess by Margery Allingham Page B

out of our wits anyhow.’ She paused and her devastating streak of commonsense reappeared like a flash of sunlight in the rainstorm. ‘If you ask me, it’s a miracle dozens of kiddiwiddies weren’t left all over the place!’ she said. ‘But they weren’t. Mothers love their babies whatever you may think, Mr. Basil, and so do fathers too. Mr. Eustace knew what he was doing all right but I guessed he didn’t want the subject brought up, and nor it was until Miss Alison discovered that the baby I was minding at our cottage wasn’t any relative of mine or Mr. Broome’s. After that there was a lot of talk in the family.’ She dropped her eyes modestly. ‘It wasn’t my place to know what went on but I believe Miss Alison caused a lot of inquiries to be made. But she came round in the end and little Timmy softened her heart. Of course there wasn’t much else she could do,’ she added with the now familiar change of mood. ‘The raids had started by that time and the whole London district had gone completely. Only dust and litter left, they said. Not a wall standing. They never knew how many hundreds were killed.’
    â€˜They found the road he came from?’ Toberman pounced on the admission.
    Mrs. Broome gave him a warning glance. ‘They found the district where the buses which brought the evacuees were
supposed
to start from,’ she said stiffly, ‘but because of the upset at the time some of them went off early from their garages and never went to the street at all. They just picked up Mummies and babies on the way. Of course I never thought Timmy came in a bus at all. Heand his nanna came in a car, I expect, and just mingled with the others, as one might say. That’s my idea.’
    â€˜It would be! Complete fanciful idiocy! Where was this district? Somewhere in the East End?’
    â€˜Hush!’ Mrs. Broome glanced round her involuntarily and Toberman suddenly comprehended the situation.
    â€˜What
is
all this? Who’s here?’ He stepped out into the room and looked about him for a hiding place. ‘Come on,’ he said loudly. ‘Come out whoever you are!’
    â€˜No, no! Be quiet Mr. Basil. Mind your own business, do. Come along to the other room and I’ll tell you. . . . I’ll tell you what you want to know.’
    â€˜Who is it? This is damn silly! Come out!’ Toberman was advancing towards the long window curtains.
    Mrs. Broome, who suspected the same hiding place, threw in her ace card to delay him.
    â€˜It was Turk Street, Ebbfield. . . . but when they came to inquire about Timmy it was all gone.’ She was too late. The man had ceased to listen to her. He had investigated one set of hangings and was advancing upon another.
    On the far side of the room Julia slid quietly to her feet and came out from the fireplace alcove.
    â€˜Here I am,’ she said. ‘I’m sorry, but I was trying to get away from you. Does it matter? Hello, Mr. Campion.’
    Toberman stopped in his tracks. His smile broadened and his eyes began to dance.
    â€˜The little lady herself! You’re very like your photographs, Miss Laurell. Well, this is fascinating! It’s going to be a better Press story than I thought!’

CHAPTER FOUR
‘Above at a Window’
    â€˜JULIA? ME.’
    â€˜Over the telephone Timothy’s voice sounded older, more male and somehow more rough than when there was the rest of him present to soften the effect. ‘You got the message and you’re quite alone?’
    â€˜Quite. Completely by myself. What is it? What’s happened?’ Julia was frightened and the medium did not help her to conceal it. ‘You can say anything you like. As soon as you told Mrs. Broome what you wanted she plugged the phone in up here and I think she’s sitting on the stairs in the hall keeping guard. What is it, Tim? Is it that you won’t be able to get down here