Voices!
Girls’ laughter. The Scouts, of course, and coming back toward the cottage!
Without waiting to consider Vita’s opinion, Nora sprang from her hiding place and darted up the path into the cottage.
Voices within as well as without!
Cousin Ted was back from the woods and had company. How could Nora reach her room without being seen?
She crouched behind the kitchen cabinet, hoping the voices would leave the hall and enter the living room, but, evidently, there was a reason for delay, and the big seat was right at the foot of the stairway!
Now Vita’s flat slippers patted the stones and she was coming into the kitchen.
Disgusted with the entire affair, Nora turned into the back stairway. She had never mounted those stairs, they were used only by the maid, but just now there seemed no other avenue of escape. She heard the shuffling feet of Vita as she climbed the bare treads.
They were narrow and dark, only a small window cut in an opening somewhere allowed enough light to penetrate to make sure the steps were those of stairs. A narrow landing marked the line where the second floor must be. Then there was another turn, a sort of sharp twist in the queer ladder-like climb.
Nora was too far up now to hear Vita’s step in the kitchen.