I stepped inside and shut the door.
Mardi was looking out of the window. I wondered if it were going to make any difference. When she heard me come in she turned and ran over to me.
“Is it all right?” she said.
I put my arms round her. “That was Blondie. She’s gone now. You see, we can’t get away from this business until we get away from here. I’m sorry about it, honey, but she’s gone. I guess we won’t see her any more.”
Mardi put her hand against my face. “I wish you had never started this,” she said. “I wish—”
“Come on, honey,” I said, taking her arm, “if I’d kept out of this I shouldn’t have met you. We’re goin’ where it’s good and where we can forget all about the whole business… you see.”
And looking back, I guess that was about the dumbest crack I’ve ever made.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
TROUBLE STARTED four days after we had settled down at the lodge. They were four of the grandest days I ever spent. We had the place to ourselves and we did just what we liked. We dressed how we liked and we ate when we wanted to. We got up when we had had enough of bed, and we fooled around with fishing-lines until we had had enough of that. It was too good to last.
The first sign of trouble came with the postman. I got three articles returned. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I sat there staring at them and looking at the printed rejection slips. I had had enough of them in the past to know what they were without reading the blah.