It was Colina's turn to lavish her pent-up tenderness upon him then.
After a while she disengaged herself from his arms. "They will wonder what makes me stay so long," she murmured. "And my eyes are red. Emslie will see when I go out."
Ambrose poured out water in his basin. "Dabble your eyes in this," he said. "When you're ready to go I'll call Emslie in. Coming in from the light, he won't notice anything. You can slip out ahead of him."
Colina bathed her face as he suggested. Catching each other's eyes, they blushed and laughed.
"We must decide quickly what we're going to do," she said hastily.
"First read that letter," said Ambrose.
She read it, leaning back against his shoulder. "A woman!" she said in a changed voice and straightened up. She read further. "She helped you escape!" Colina turned and faced him. "She believed in you, eh?" she said, her lip curling.
Ambrose's heart sank. "Now, Colina—" he began. "Why, she never thought anything about it!"
Colina consulted the letter again. "She ran away with you!" she cried accusingly.
"Followed me," corrected Ambrose.