Aletha had very little time to carry out what she now planned to achieve.
In fact it took her two or three hours to pack her clothes, which she had seldom done herself.
She had also to decide how she could obtain enough ready money to travel with.
As was to be expected, she had only a small amount of cash in her handbag, mainly to use in the Church. It was also there in case she had to tip someone unexpectedly when she was out riding.
She knew, however, that she would need quite a considerable amount for the journey that she had in mind.
There was only one solution and that was the jewellery that she had inherited from her mother and, because she loved it, she had been allowed to wear some of the pieces since she left school.
So she kept a number of the brooches and bracelets in the drawer of her dressing table and the tiaras, the necklaces and the earrings were all lodged in the safe in the pantry.
These she could not obtain without alerting the butler. He would undoubtedly think that it was very odd that she should want her jewellery in the middle of the night.
She therefore looked carefully through the brooches that she had inherited.
There was a diamond crescent brooch, which had been too big for her to wear at her age, but she knew that the stones were good and therefore it was a valuable piece.
So she put it into her handbag.
Then she remembered somewhat belatedly that she would need her passport.
She had one of her own because soon after her mother died her father had thought that it would be a good idea for them to have a change of environment.
He had taken her away to France to stay with the Comte de Soisson who was an ardent racehorse owner like himself.
Before leaving the Duke had anticipated that he might have to return to England at the request of the Queen and he had arranged for Aletha to have her own passport instead of just being included on his.
It was a letter signed by the Marquis of Salisbury who was Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
It was most fortunate that there was no way of identifying the holder except that she was in possession of the passport herself.
For Aletha had already decided that, once she was on foreign soil, she would use a false name.
It was highly unlikely when she had reached Hungary that her passport would be looked at except by the border Officials.
Then she thought of what she was intending to do and she knew that it was outrageous.
It might also be dangerous.
*
When her father learned of her plan, he would undoubtedly be infuriated.
At the same time, she told herself, unless she was unlucky, she would be able to return home before he had come back from Denmark.
Then there would be no reason why he should suspect that she had not been staying with one of her friends.
Cousin Jane had arrived at six o’clock that evening and fortunately had gone straight to bed.
Consequently her father had then asked Mr. Heywood to dinner so that they could go on talking about horses and their purchases.
Aletha was delighted that they had been able to escape from a dreary meal with Cousin Jane mouthing banalities or else discussing her health in some unpleasant detail.
It was in point of fact her health that had solved Aletha’s problem.
Her lady’s maid had come to see Aletha to admit,
“I’m ever so afraid, my Lady, my mistress isn’t well. She’s got a real bad cold and, as it’s infectious, I’ve put her straight to bed.”
“That was very sensible of you,” Aletha replied. “I certainly have no wish to catch a cold at the moment or any moment for that.”
“She’ll be better in a day or so,” the maid said confidently, “and her Ladyship always likes stayin’ here at Ling Park.”
Aletha gave a sigh of relief.
Now she knew that she could put her carefully thought-out plan fully into operation.
When she had finished packing, she sat down and wrote a note to Cousin Jane.
She said that, as she was ill, she was going to visit some friends for a few days and she had also left a letter for her father just in case he should return before she did.
Because she loved him, she told him the truth.
He would be angry, but at the same time with any luck his anger would have abated by the time she did return.
She then glanced at the clock. She had finished everything that she had to do and should now rest.
She planned to leave the house as soon as she dared after her father had gone.
It was four miles to the nearby Railway Station and she knew that he was leaving at six o’clock sharp.
She also knew from their conversation at dinner that Mr. Heywood had arranged to travel to London with her father on the same early train.
He would reach London in time to catch the Steamer to Copenhagen, which left shortly before midday.
If he missed it, there would be a delay of two days and that would most certainly upset the programme that had been meticulously arranged for him in Denmark.
Because Aletha was so excited and feeling very nervous of what she was doing that she was unable to sleep.
She lit a candle every hour to see the time.
When it was just six o’clock, she heard her father walking down the corridor towards the stairs and she could also hear the footsteps of his valet and of the footmen carrying down his luggage.
He had been very insistent that she should not see him off.
“I want you to sleep until your usual hour, my dearest,” he said, “and also, if I am honest, I am rather disagreeable first thing in the morning and I don’t want you to think of me like that when I am away.”
“I could never think of you in any way except with love,” Aletha assured him, “and that you are the most wonderful man in the whole world.”
Her father kissed her.
“You are such a good girl,” he said, “and I am so very proud of you. I am quite certain that Heywood is right and you will take all of London Society by storm when you start your Season.”
“I do hope so, Papa,” Aletha replied.
Now, as she heard him leaving the house, she wondered if he would be so angry with her.
If so he might refuse to allow her to make her debut and then she realised that if he did so it would cause a scandal.
So she was quite certain that, when she did return, her escapade would be hushed up and nobody told about it.
‘I will get back home before Papa in any case,’ she decided, ‘and I am sure that I can swear Mr. Heywood to secrecy.’
When she reckoned that her father had left the house, she jumped out of bed and dressed.
She was taking a considerable amount of luggage with her including her hunting boots and riding habits.
Besides, of course, her pretty new gowns and a selection of her smart bonnets.
There was just a chance that she might meet some of the exciting Hungarian aristocrats who she had read about in magazines and newspapers.
If so she was determined that she would look her very best.
At a quarter past six she went from her bedroom dressed in a chic travelling cloak.
To her rather plain bonnet she had fixed a veil that had belonged to her mother and, as only married women wore a veil, she thought that it would be an effective disguise for her.
She did not intend to reveal herself to Mr. Heywood until after the Steamer was fully committed to the journey.
Meanwhile she would appear to be an older woman who could be travelling alone.
This was actually a hazard.
When Aletha had come back from France without her father, she had been escorted by an elderly lady’s maid and a Courier and it was he who arranged everything for her in a most efficient way.
He was there as a protection from the moment she left the French Château until she was back at Ling Park.
But she was completely determined that nothing, however difficult it may turn out to be, would prevent her from reaching Hungary.
As she came down the stairs, two night-footmen were still on duty in the hall.
They and two other footmen who had been there to see her father off looked at her in some surprise.
She ordered two of them to collect the luggage from her bedroom and another was told to run to the stables to say that she required a carriage to take her to the Railway Station.
“Because we were so preoccupied last night with His Grace,” she said, “I forgot to tell anyone that I too am leaving this morning to stay with friends of mine.”
She knew that this would be repeated throughout the house when it was discovered that she had gone as well as her father.
The carriage came round to the front door surprisingly quickly.
The Duke always became somewhat irritable if he had to wait for any amount of time when he wished to go anywhere.
The grooms were therefore used to saddling a horse or putting a pair between the shafts in what was considered as record time.
Aletha’s luggage was piled into the carriage.
Only as the footman opened the door for her, did he ask,
“Be you goin’ alone, my Lady?”
“It is such a short distance,” Aletha replied with a smile, “that it was not worth my taking a maid with me.”
The footman then closed the carriage door and they drove off.
As she reached the Railway Station, she expected to have a long wait until the next train came in.
In fact it was only fifteen minutes before one appeared.
The porter, who knew who she was, found her an empty First Class compartment and put a label on the window marked RESERVED.
As the train moved off, Aletha thought with satisfaction that she was safely over the first hurdle.
Now she had to be very sensible when she reached London and she had enough time to plan exactly what she would do.
The train steamed past fields green with young crops and woods where the trees were just coming into leaf.
By the time they reached the suburbs of London, Aletha had everything planned in her mind.
She knew that she could not possibly afford to make any mistakes or miss the Steamer that was sailing from Tilbury at one o’clock.
A porter found her a Hackney carriage and having tipped him before he closed the door Aletha said,
“Tell the driver to go to the nearest pawnbroker’s. It must not be too far out of our way because I have to catch a Steamer at Tilbury.”
The porter looked at her in surprise.
Then he asked rather familiarly,
“Come wivout your money then, ’ave you?”
“Yes, I have,” Aletha replied. “I was stupid enough to leave it on my dressing table, so unless I am to miss the Steamer to Ostend, I have to pawn my brooch.”
The porter grinned.
“That’ll teach you to be a bit more careful next time, ma’am!”
“It certainly will,” Aletha agreed and smiled at him.
The porter gave instructions to the cabby, who appeared to understand what was needed.
He whipped up his horse and they drove off.
When they stopped at the pawnbroker’s, Aletha was somewhat relieved to see that it had a respectable-looking shop window and was situated in a comparatively quiet street.
She then climbed out of the carriage.
Feeling nervous, although she did not show it, she was pleased to see that the shop was empty of customers.
An elderly man with a large hooked nose was standing behind the counter.
“Good day,” Aletha began.
Holding out her diamond brooch, she went on,
“I would like to pawn this for a very short time because I unfortunately left my money at home and have to catch a Steamer to Ostend.”
It was the excuse the porter had put into her mind.
“When’ll you be back?” the elderly pawnbroker asked in a somewhat aggressive tone.
“In ten days,” Aletha said firmly. “I promise you I have no wish to lose my beautiful brooch, but I cannot travel with no money in my purse.”
The pawnbroker turned the brooch over in his hand and was examining it very closely and carefully.
Then he proposed,
“I’ll give you seventy pounds for it and I wants one hundred pounds back when you redeems it.”
Knowing the value of her mother’s diamonds, Aletha knew that she was being cheated, but she was not prepared to argue about it.
“I will accept that,” she said, “as long as you promise me that you will not sell it in the meantime. It belonged to my mother and I could not bear to part with it for long.”
The old man looked at her penetratingly as if he was questioning whether or not she was speaking the truth.
Then unexpectedly he smiled.
“I believe you,” he said, “but another time don’t be so careless. Young ladies of your age shouldn’t be patronising pawnbrokers.”
“It is something I have certainly never done before,” Aletha said, “and thank you very much for helping me, but it is very important that I catch this particular Steamer.”
The pawnbroker opened a drawer that appeared to be full of money and then counted out seventy pounds exactly.
He handed it to Aletha and she put it away in her handbag at once.
“If you’re alone,” he now said in a fatherly manner, “you keep a tight hold on that there handbag of yours. There be thieves and pickpockets as’ll have it off you.”
“I will do that,” Aletha answered.
“There be plenty of thieves, I hears, on the ships,” the pawnbroker went on, “and if they don’t take it off a pretty girl at cards, they’ll take it with kisses!”
The way he spoke made Aletha shiver.
Next he gave her a ticket by which she could redeem her brooch.
She put this too into her handbag, which she tucked tightly under her arm.
Then she held out her hand.
“Thank you very much,” she said, “I will certainly remember your good advice.”
“You do that,” he said, “and if you asks me, you’re far too young to be travelling alone.”
Aletha smiled at him.
But when she climbed back into the Hackney carriage, she recognised that he was right.
She might encounter a lot of trouble until she gained the protection of Mr. Heywood.
She realised, however, that it would be a terrible mistake for him to see her before they were on the train from Ostend.
It was an Express which would take them first to Vienna.
She had heard him discussing the journey with her father, although she had not listened very attentively at the time.
It had not occurred to her then that she might do anything so outrageous as to join Mr. Heywood on his journey.
When the idea had come to her last night, she had felt that it was something that she had to do.
Why should she stay at home and listen to Cousin Jane croaking over her illnesses?
She should have been travelling with her father to Hungary to buy the horses to delight the Empress Elizabeth with.
She could not accompany him, but why not Mr. Heywood?
The moment she began to think about it everything seemed to fall into place like a jigsaw puzzle.
But she had to be certain that Mr. Heywood could not make her return home like a piece of unwanted luggage.
It would be impossible anyway once they were on the train on their way to Austria.
Next they arrived at the dock and she saw the Steamer waiting on the quay.
It was getting on towards one o’clock and there were quite a number of people going up the gangway.
Mercifully there was no sign at all of Mr. Heywood and she hoped that he had already embarked.
Then she felt with a sudden panic that she might at the last moment find that there was no accommodation for her.
She pulled her veil well down over her face.
Because of what the pawnbroker had said, she put on a pair of spectacles that her father had used when he had visited Switzerland one year.
He had bought them out there and, when he returned to England, he explained,
“The sun was so brilliant on the snow that it just hurt my eyes. The Swiss Ambassador suggested I should wear these slightly tinted spectacles.”
Aletha had not thought of them again until she was just leaving the house.
Then she remembered that the spectacles were in a drawer in a chest that contained dog leads and riding gloves.
She had slipped them into her handbag before she had run down the steps to get into the carriage.
She felt now as if they protected her from the world and also if Mr. Heywood did happen to see her he would be most unlikely to recognise her.
She thought that the cabby looked at her in surprise and she certainly appeared somewhat different from the way she had when he had picked her up.
She found a porter to carry her luggage and went ahead of him up the gangway.
Having travelled with her father, she knew that not having a reservation meant that she had to go to the Purser’s Office.
When she found it, there were several people waiting ahead of her in a queue.
When finally it was her turn, she asked if it was possible to book a cabin.
To her relief there was one available and the Purser was obviously pleased to give her all the details.
She knew that this was because the cabins were expensive and the majority of travellers were not prepared to spend extra money on them for a relatively short journey.
A Steward brought her luggage into the fairly comfortable cabin that she had been given.
When he closed the door behind him, Aletha thought with some relief that she was now safe until they reached Ostend.
Having crossed the English Channel to France several times with her father, she knew that she was a good sailor.
Although the sea was indeed slightly choppy with the wind churning up the waves into white horses, she did not feel in the least seasick.
Only when the Steamer was out of sight of the coast did she think with delight that she had taken her second hurdle in even more style.
‘I have been rather clever,’ she told herself. ‘At the same time I must most definitely not be seen by Mr. Heywood when we reach Ostend.’
She guessed like most men, he would want to walk around the deck and enjoy the sea breezes.
Their Courier had then booked them into the best cabins aboard the Steamer in which she had travelled with her father.
Her father had, however, pooh-poohed the idea of staying in it.
“I hate being shut up,” he had asserted firmly.
He walked around the deck almost the entire time they had taken to cross from Dover to Calais.
As Aletha was hiding, she wanted to stay in her cabin for as long as possible.
Only when one of the Stewards suggested that he should take her luggage ashore did she come out.
Keeping her head low she hurried down the gangway to walk the short distance to where the train for Vienna was waiting.
As she did not have a ticket, she had to go to a kiosk to buy one before she went aboard.
In a way it was a blessing as it ensured that Mr. Heywood would have already taken his seat by this time.
Anyway he would certainly not be looking particularly for anybody he might recognise.
The First Class fare with a sleeper was expensive and Aletha thought that it was a good thing that she had been sensible enough to have plenty of money with her for the journey.
She knew, of course, that Mr. Heywood would have to pay for her return to Dover.
At the same time in case anything went wrong she might have to look after herself.
It would be very frightening to be stranded in a foreign land and penniless.
At least she had her ticket in her reticule.
The porter discovered in which carriage her sleeper was located and carried her luggage into it.
Aletha could speak French fluently as her mother had always claimed that it was the only language in the world worth speaking after English.
She then enquired from him how long it would be before the train stopped so that the passengers could eat at a Station restaurant.
The porter replied toher with all the information that she required.
She realised that despite her spectacles and the veil that covered her face, he was looking at her with an undoubted look of admiration in his eyes.
‘I must be careful,’ she told herself again and again.
She certainly had no wish to be involved with any of the male passengers other than Mr. Heywood.
Ten minutes after she had boarded the train it began to chug slowly out of Ostend.
She had taken the third hurdle with some aplomb.
Now at least she could feel safe from being sent home ignominiously.
The next difficulty would be to find Mr. Heywood. There had been a great deal of talk in the newspapers recently about the introduction of coaches on trains with corridors.
It would mean that the passengers could easily move around from one compartment and from one coach to another.
Her father had severely disapproved of the idea.
“Men could frighten attractive women by knocking on their doors and then entering their compartments.”
He paused a moment and then went on in a hard voice,
“It would also make it easier for thieves to rob a traveller when he was asleep.”
“I saw in one newspaper,” Aletha had replied, “that it might mean that a train that was going for a long distance could have a restaurant car and the passengers could walk down the corridors to it.”
“Then one would have to eat while being shaken about by the movement of the train,” her father added, “which is something that women, at any rate, would dislike.”
At the moment, however, Aletha thought that it would have made it much easier for her to find Mr. Heywood.
As it was, she would have to wait until the train arrived at the Station where they would disembark to be served a meal.
She took off her bonnet and settled herself comfortably in her carriage seat.
At least she had a carriage to herself.
She thought now how uncomfortable it would have been if she had to travel with other people.
It would mean sitting up all night, instead of being able to lie down.
She had read in the newspapers how comfortable Queen Victoria’s private carriage was in which she travelled in France and on Royal visits to Scotland and the North of England.
Her Majesty’s sitting room was connected with her bedroom and to a luggage room in which her maid slept on a sofa.
Aletha thought that, if she had been with her father, perhaps they would have been able to hire a private coach.
It would certainly have made the journey very exciting and unusual.
‘Nevertheless,’ she told herself, ‘I am on my way and now I shall see the Hungarian horses that thrill the Empress Elizabeth and will certainly please her when she comes to stay with us at Ling Park.’
Because she was interested in the land that they were passing through, she sat looking out of the window.
She was quite surprised when she found that the time had passed more quickly than she might have expected.
In fact it was nearly six o’clock by the time when the train was expected to stop.
She thought that it would be a mistake not to wear her veil and spectacles until she found Mr. Heywood.
She therefore dressed herself as carefully as she had been when she came aboard.
When she looked in the small mirror, she thought that even her father would have found difficulty in recognising her.
With a great deal of smoke and even more noise the train steamed into a Station and then came to a halt.
There were numerous people on the platform as some were boarding the train and others meeting travellers from it. There were also porters and trucks containing the mail and a great deal of luggage.
Aletha waited for a few minutes before she opened her carriage door.
She made sure that the Steward in charge of her coach understood that she was leaving her possessions in the train while she had gone for dinner.
She thanked him in her excellent Parisian French when he told her that he would take good care of them.
Then she walked to the restaurant and it appeared to her when she first entered that every table was taken.
She could fortunately see no sign of Mr. Heywood.
She thought helplessly that she might have to return to the train without having anything to eat.
Then a man who was sitting at a table near to the door said to her in French,
“There is a seat here for you, madame.”
With a quick glance Aletha realised that beside the man who had spoken to her there was an elderly couple.
They looked, she thought, as if they might easily be Austrian.
A little reluctantly, still hoping that she would soon see Mr. Heywood, she sat down in the empty seat.
“It is always difficult to find a place here,” the man said who had spoken to her before, “unless one jumps out of the train almost before it stops.”
“I should have thought that they might well have provided enough places for everyone,” Aletha replied.
She spoke in a cold voice.
She felt by the way that the stranger was smiling at her that he was not deceived by her disguise.
Because he was polite and there seemed little point in being rude, she allowed him to suggest what was palatable on the menu.
She knew that a Frenchman would advise her better than anybody else.
She refused, however, when he asked her if she would share his bottle of wine with him.
“No, thank you,” she said firmly.
“You are making a mistake,” he insisted. “You must know that in places like this one it would be dangerous to drink the water.”
He paused and smiled at her before continuing,
“What I have ordered comes from a famous vineyard and is a quite excellent wine”
Because it seemed stupid to go on refusing, Aletha accepted a glass.
The food was not long in coming.
Yet while she was still eating, the elderly couple, having consumed little but drunk two huge mugs of beer, returned to the train.
“Now we can talk,” the Frenchman said. “Do tell me about yourself, because I can see, mademoiselle, that despite those disfiguring spectacles you are very pretty!”
Aletha stiffened.
She was about to reply that she was not a mademoiselle.
Then she realised that, although she had thought of everything, she had not remembered that she should be wearing a Wedding ring.
The idea had not occurred to her when she had taken off her gloves to eat.
But the Frenchman had not missed the ringless fourth finger of her left hand.
As she did not reply, he bent a little nearer to her.
“Tell me about yourself,” he went on, “and may I say that I find you very fascinating and intriguing.”
“I am just a traveller, monsieur,” Aletha answered, “and as time is now getting on I am anxious to go back to the train.”
“It will not move for at least another twenty minutes,” he replied, “and I want to know a great deal about you and also you must tell me which coach you are in.”
There was something in the way he spoke that made Aletha look at him sharply.
He put his hand out and took hers.
“I have not a sleeper,” he said. “I was unfortunately too late to obtain one, so why should you not be generous and share yours with me?”
Aletha tried to take her hand away, but he held onto it.
“We could both be very happy,” he said softly, “on what is otherwise a very tedious and uneventful journey.”
“The answer is ‘no’, monsieur, definitely ‘no!’” Aletha riposted.
She meant to speak in a firm crushing voice, but instead she only sounded young and rather frightened.
The Frenchman’s fingers tightened on hers.
“I promise I will make you very happy,” he said, “and, when we are alone, I will tell you how beautiful you are and how thrilled I am to have found you!”
There was a determination in his voice that made Aletha feel increasingly afraid as well as intimidated.
It flashed through her mind that, if she went back to her carriage, he would follow her.
She might then be unable to prevent him from entering her compartment.
Then she knew that she would be at his mercy and there would be nothing that she could do about it.
She thought quickly that the only thing she could do was to appeal to the Steward.
But the Frenchman might even be able to prevent her from doing that.
She felt her heart thumping in her breast and a sense of panic began to sweep over her.
The waiter came up for the bill, but the Frenchman did not loosen his hold on her hand.
He pulled two notes out of his pocket and gave them to the waiter.
“I would prefer to pay for myself!” Aletha stipulated firmly.
“I cannot allow you to do that,” the Frenchman insisted.
She struggled to free her hand, but he still held it captive.
He took the change from the waiter, put it into his pocket and rose to his feet still holding onto her fingers.
She sat still looking up at him and now she was really frightened.
The people in the restaurant were moving towards the train and in just a few minutes she would have to go back to her compartment.
The Frenchman began to pull her to her feet.
She tried to resist him with all her strength, but it was just hopeless.
Then, as he moved towards the door still holding her prisoner, she saw coming from the very back of the restaurant a figure she instantly recognised.
The Frenchman, dragging her as if she was a reluctant mule, had by now almost reached the door.
He had to wait for several people to pass by and as he did so Aletha saw Mr. Heywood coming nearer to her.
With a sudden twist of her hand she moved sharply away from the door.
It took the Frenchman by surprise.
She pushed past the passengers queueing up to go in through the door and threw herself against Mr. Heywood.
“I have – found you! I have – found you!” she cried.
Mr. Heywood stared at her in sheer astonishment before he exclaimed,
“Lady Aletha! What on earth are you doing here?”
“I am on – the train,” she answered, “and – looking – for you.”
It was then, before she could say anything more, that the Frenchman was beside her.
He took her again by the arm, obviously having no idea that she had been speaking with Mr. Heywood.
“Come along,” he urged, “there is no escape so don’t try and run away from me again.”
“Go away and leave me ‒ alone!” Aletha demanded.
She was conscious as she spoke that Mr. Heywood was taller and looked much stronger than the Frenchman who was not a big man.
She took Mr. Heywood’s arm.
As if he realised what was happening, he enquired in English,
“Who is this fellow? Is he bothering you?”
“Send him – away! Please – send him – away!” Aletha begged him.
There was, however, no need for Mr. Heywood to say anything.
The Frenchman obviously understood what Aletha had said and then realised that he was defeated.
He turned and, pushing his way through the crowd, disappeared through the restaurant door.
Aletha gave a sigh of relief.
“I-I was – so frightened,” she murmured in a small voice.
“Do you mean you are here alone?” Mr. Heywood asked. “I cannot understand – ”
“I wanted to – come to Hungary with you as Papa cannot – take me,” Aletha responded, “and I had no – trouble until – that Frenchman – started to talk to me.”
“You must be crazy to do anything quite so outrageous!” Mr. Heywood said. “Have you a compartment to yourself?”
“I have – a sleeper.”
She realised that he was frowning and in fact looked extremely angry.
By this time they had reached the door of the restaurant.
The passengers were all hurrying onto the train and some of the doors had been slammed shut already.
“Where is your compartment?” Mr. Heywood asked.
Aletha went towards it and he said,
“I will come and see you at the next stop. You are not to get out until I do. Then I want a full explanation of what is going on.”
He stopped speaking a moment before he went on,
“I think, Lady Aletha, your father would be very angry if he knew that you were here.”
“I-I know that,” Aletha agreed, “but I did so want to – come with – you and help buy – the Hungarian horses for – the Empress Elizabeth.”
“I have to think how I can send you back with somebody to protect you,” Mr. Heywood said grimly.
“I will not go!” Aletha retorted. “And I have a splendid idea ‒ which I will tell you about when you have – time to – listen.”
She knew by the expression on Mr. Heywood’s face that this was not the right moment to appeal to him to help her.
By this time they had reached the door to her compartment.
To her relief the Steward was standing beside it.
He was waiting to lock the door when she was inside.
She looked up at Mr. Heywood.
“I shall be quite – safe until you – find me at the next stop,” she assured him.
Mr. Heywood did not answer.
Instead, in what she realised was quite fluent French but with a decided English accent, he told the Steward that no one was to approach her compartment.
Then he tipped the man so generously that he was overcome by what he had received.
Without saying anything more to Aletha Mr. Heywood turned and walked away towards his own compartment.
It was, she saw somewhat ironically, in the next coach to her own.
“Bon nuit, madame,” the Steward said as he closed the door.
The bed had been made up whilst Aletha was in the restaurant and she now sat down on it feeling for the moment apprehensive that Mr. Heywood was so angry with her.
Then she told herself that it was what she might have expected, but there was nothing he could do about it.
He could either take her home immediately which would mean that he could not buy the horses that her father really wanted.
Or else he would have to carry out the plan that she had thought out so carefully.
As she undressed, she thought how lucky she had been to find him.
She had never anticipated that anybody would behave as the Frenchman had done.
Now, as she thought about it, she could imagine it would be quite a clever way of getting a comfortable compartment without having to pay for it.
Perhaps, besides finding a pretty woman amusing, he was also a thief.
If she had been obliged to endure his presence, he might have taken her money and what jewellery she had with her.
She could now fully understand exactly why Mr. Heywood was so horrified at the idea of her travelling alone.
‘All the same, I am here,’ she thought triumphantly, ‘and it will be impossible for Mr. Heywood to send me back!’
She undressed and climbed wearily into bed.
The rhythmic vibration of the wheels soon soothed her into a deep sleep.
*
When Aletha awoke, it was morning.
She remembered that the train would stop for breakfast and she had to be dressed by the time Mr. Heywood came to collect her.
She pulled up the blind to find that the countryside that they were passing through was very beautiful. There were high hills in the distance, forests and broad shining rivers.
She wished that she knew exactly where she was and, what was so much more important, when they would reach Vienna.
She dressed herself, but now she removed her mother’s veil from her bonnet and she put the coloured spectacles away in one of her boxes.
The sun was shining and she thought that she would not need the heavy cloak that she had travelled in yesterday. Instead she unpacked a short jacket that was trimmed with fur.
She knew, although she could see only a little bit of herself in the mirror, that she looked very smart.
She only hoped that Mr. Heywood would admire her as he had done before.
He might then not be so angry as he had been last night.
Her gown, which was in the very latest fashion, was draped in the front and caught at the back into what was a very small bustle.
She knew that any woman at the Station would be aware that she was wearing a model that had originally come from Paris.
Then, as the train came slowly into the Station, she was still feeling afraid.
Perhaps Mr. Heywood would be too angry at her escapade to think of anything but that she was her father’s daughter.
She should have been properly and correctly chaperoned besides having a lady’s maid and a Courier with her for the journey.