Free Blindfold by Patricia Wentworth Page B

have been even less than her nineteen and a half years.
    Freddy came over and sat down on the couch.
    â€œWell, darling?” he said.
    She leaned towards him and put up her lips to be kissed.
    â€œWhat did Ian want, Freddy?”
    â€œHow do you know he wanted anything?”
    She slipped her hand into his and swung it to and fro.
    â€œYou think I’m stupid, but I’m not. What did he want?”
    â€œHe didn’t want you to talk about the Vulture.”
    The blue eyes opened to their fullest extent.
    â€œBut, my sweet, everybody’s talking about him. And besides, it wasn’t the Vulture we were talking about. Ian and his old Foreign Office can’t simply muzzle everyone—can they? And Fitz says—Freddy, you’re not angry?”
    â€œNo, darling—not a bit. You just go ahead. What did Fitz say?”
    â€œWell, I don’t know that it was Fitz. I just said Fitz because—well, of course he was there. Does it matter?”
    â€œNot if you can’t remember. What did he say?”
    Lila gazed pensively at a pretty bare foot. She curled and uncurled the toes. The foot was very white, and the toe-nails tinted a deep shell pink.
    â€œFreddy, should you like me in sandals?”
    â€œNo, darling.”
    â€œOh, my sweet— gold ones—and my feet bare of course—and perhaps a ring on one of the toes!”
    â€œ No , darling,” said Freddy firmly. “I should hate it. Like poison. Lila, what did Fitz say?”
    â€œBut, my sweet, I’m not sure that it was Fitz—I told you so.”
    Freddy was fortunately so constituted that the workings of Lila’s mind entertained instead of irritating him. He laughed and said,
    â€œWell, whoever did say it.”
    â€œI can’t really remember. It might have been Dinks.”
    â€œLet’s say it was what’s-his-name. Now, darling, what did what’s-his-name say?”
    Lila continued to gaze at her foot. She said in a murmuring voice,
    â€œI think sandals would be marvellous .”
    Freddy took her by the shoulders and turned her round to face him.
    â€œDarling, you’re not attending. It doesn’t matter whether Fitz said it, or Dinks, or anyone else. The point is— what did they say?”
    â€œWell, my sweet, I was beginning to tell you about it at bridge, only Ian interrupted. It’s never the same the second time—is it? But of course if you want me to—well, I told you the bit about the Vulture, and his gang or whatever it is getting together again, and the French and American governments.”
    â€œYes,” said Freddy—“that’s where you’d got to. What about the French and American governments?”
    â€œWell, that’s the exciting part,” said Lila. “Darling, you have got such nice strong hands. I do like it when you hold me like this—as if you could break me quite easily.”
    Freddy shook her a little.
    â€œI shall if you don’t get a move on, darling. What about the French and American governments?”
    â€œI’m telling you, my sweet. Have the French really had seven governments in two years?”
    â€œI expect so—I haven’t counted.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œI expect they know—I don’t. Now, darling, get on with it.”
    â€œWell, they each sent a man over. Sleuths, you know—at least not ordinary sleuths, but more sort of Secret Service people—a French one and an American one. But Fitz says, or perhaps it was Dinks, I really don’t remember which—”
    â€œIt doesn’t matter,” said Freddy firmly, “Go on!”
    â€œWell, they came over because they thought they’d got a clue. And they both dined with one of our Secret Service sleuths, and they kept it up till fairly late, and then they all went home. But they didn’t get there—at least the Frenchman and the American didn’t. The Englishman said