His car rolled up to the door. He had handed Vita into it, and stood leaning in through the doorway.
"Where shall he drive to?" he enquired, with a smile of amusement. "Kensington?"
"Please, Kensington."
There was almost a challenge in the smile with which Vita replied to him.
A moment later he was sitting beside her in the cabriolet as they drove on towards the crossing of Piccadilly Circus.
"It is too late to let you take me all the way to my home," Vita said quietly. "Besides, I would rather remain in town for the night." Then she broke off in an undecided fashion.
Ruxton caught at the pause.
"Do not think about it. I have no desire to know anything but that which you choose to tell me."
Vita laughed. And Ruxton felt that her laugh was slightly embarrassed.
"It seems strange not to tell you where my real home is," she said. "There is no adequate reason for not doing so—and yet—I will tell you the reason that I occupy my Kensington flat in my two Christian names, and keep my real home away in the country. Father and I thought it out when we embarked upon our plans. We decided that in emergency it would be necessary to have a secure retreat. We endeavored to forestall all possibilities. We——"