"Perhaps Margaret has induced her brother to walk up to the ruin by moonlight," suggested Mrs. Bosanquet, who had caught perhaps half of what had been said. "It is a very clear night, but I must say I think it was imprudent of the dear child to go out with the wind in the north as it is."
"My dear Aunt Lilian, they wouldn't spend an hour at the chapel!" Charles said.
"An hour! No, certainly not. But have they been gone for so long as that?"
Celia was looking at her husband. "Charles, you're worried?"
"I am bit," he confessed. "I can't see why they should want to go out like that. No one came to the house during the evening, I suppose?"
"No, sir, no one to my knowledge. That is, no one rang the front-door bell, nor yet the back either."
"They must have gone to the Colonel's!" Celia said.
"Then what did they want a fire for, Miss Celia?" struck in Mrs. Bowers.
"Perhaps they thought it was such a sudden change in the weather that we might be cold after our drive," Celia suggested.
"No, madam, they never thought that, for as I was just saying to Bowers, Mr. Peter brought that scuttle out, and said Miss Margaret was feeling shivery, and was going to light the fire. Which she must have done - unless you did, Bowers?"