Abbershaw looked down at her; he wished he could see her face.
‘What’s happening in there now?’ he said. ‘Anything we can do?’
The girl shook her head. ‘I don’t think so. They’re just standing about talking. I heard Wyatt say that the news had come down that it was nothing serious, and he asked us all to go on as if nothing had happened. Apparently the Colonel often gets these attacks . . .’ She hesitated and made no attempt to move.
Abbershaw felt her trembling by his side, and once again the curious fear which had been lurking at the back of his mind all the evening showed itself to him.
‘Tell me,’ he said, with a sudden intuition that made his voice gentle and comforting in the darkness. ‘What is it?’
She started, and her voice sounded high and out of control.
‘Not – not here. Can’t we get outside? I’m frightened of this house.’ The admission in her tone made his heart leap painfully.
Something had happened, then.
He drew her arm through his.
‘Why, yes, of course we can,’ he said. ‘It’s a fine starlit night; we’ll go on to the grass.’