‘Then cut it short,’ Sir William growled. What a wild young devil he looks, he told himself; something between a gunman and a fiddler.
Penderel was busy taking off his boots. ‘Well, you see, I went out to Waverton’s car to get my flask——’
Here Gladys broke in: ‘And I went with him to the door, and then I was shut out and couldn’t get in, and so I found him in the car and we sat there and talked.’ She looked at him rather defiantly, very bright-eyed. ‘And we’ve had to wade through a lake to get back.’
Penderel was padding across the room in his stockinged feet, in search of his bag. ‘Why, what’s been happening here?’ he asked.
‘God knows. I don’t. I’ve been hanging about here, waiting for somebody to come or something to happen. And just look at the place. It gets on your nerves. Every time I’ve wakened up I’ve had a shock.’
‘But where are they all?’ Gladys looked bewildered.
‘Don’t ask me. Can’t tell you.’ Sir William blew out his breath impatiently. ‘I’ll tell you what I do know. The lights went out. Waverton and what’s-his-name—Femm—went off to find a lamp. They’re finding it yet. Then that little screeching woman—she’s as mad as a hatter, that woman, and I hope I’ve seen the last of her—well, she wanted someone to shut a window. I did that and listened to her raving. Then she dug out a little lamp and I came back with it. That’s the one.’ He pointed to the tiny oil lamp burning on the table. ‘Good job I brought it, too, or I’d have been in the dark. Well, when I came back, Mrs. Waverton had disappeared. I didn’t want to start roaming round the house, so waited here by the fire. Must have dozed off. Thought I heard a crash somewhere, but may have dreamt it. Woke up though, but nobody came, so dozed off again, and next thing I heard was you knocking.’
Gladys exchanged glances with Penderel, who was coming back with some clothes over his arm. ‘We must investigate this,’ he said cheerfully. He moved over to a door opposite the staircase, to the left of the fireplace, a door that had not been opened yet. ‘I wonder what happens in here. Could I go in, do you think?’
‘Why?’ Gladys was alarmed. ‘What are you going to do?’
He grinned at her. ‘Change my trousers.’ He looked a little longer and his grin changed to a smile. ‘Back in a minute.’ The door closed behind him.