When he entered the room in which lunch was served, he found that Lady Dawn was alone. Glancing at the table, he perceived with surprise that only two covers had been laid. She read the question in his eyes and answered it.
"Terry's away. I forgot to tell you. She had an early breakfast and motored into Gloucester before I was up. The car's come back without her. She's sent no word as to when or how she proposes to return."
"Something urgent?" he asked casually.
"More likely shopping. A woman's shopping's always urgent. I'm no wiser than you are. The first I heard about her going was when I was informed she had gone."
He relapsed into thought. It wasn't difficult to conjecture the reason for Terry's errand. She'd been no more anxious to meet him just at present
than he had been to meet her. She'd taken the day off in the hope that by nightfall he would have departed.
Another solution occurred to him. "Did she ever mention to you a General Braithwaite?"
Lady Dawn met his eyes with a hint of warning. Listeners were present. "I believe she did," she admitted discouragingly.
"The only reason why I asked was that his name's in the morning papers. She may have seen it before she started. If so, it might explain——"
"John will know." Lady Dawn turned to the footman. "Did Miss Beddow read the papers, John, this morning before she left?"