“What is the time?” asked Frid.
“Quarter to eight,” said Nanny from the door. “Come along, Michael and Patricia.”
“Can it be no more than an hour since they came!” said Charlot.
“Aunt Kit got here earlier,” said Colin.
“ Aunt Kit!” Charlot looked from one to another of her children. “For pity’s sake, what has become of Aunt Kit?”
“Has anybody seen her?” asked Frid.
Nobody, it appeared, had seen Lady Katherine since the brothers were left alone in the dining-room and Charlot took the aunts to her bedroom.
“We stayed there for about ten minutes I suppose,” said Charlot, “and then she said she wished to ‘disappear.’ She knows the flat quite well so I didn’t lead the way or anything. Stephen — go and see if you can find her.”
Stephen went away but returned to say that unless Aunt Kit was in with the doctor and Lord Charles she was not in the flat.
“Well,” said Henry, “she told you, Mummy, that she wished to disappear and she has.”