Outrageous Fortune Read Free

just about right.
    â€œTom!”
    He turned with a start. Nesta had the door of the car open. She was very much flushed, and her eyes were bright and hard.
    â€œWe’re taking him back with us,” she said.
    â€œThen it’s Jimmy?”
    Nesta frowned and went on speaking in a hurried, jerky voice.
    â€œOf course it’s Jimmy. We’re taking him back with us, and you’ll have to drive right in, because he’s pretty dicky. They wouldn’t let me take him away, only there’s been a charabanc smash at the cross-roads and the doctor’s just run up to say they’ve got to take in six whether they’ve got room for them or not.”
    â€œWhat’s the matter with him?” said Tom Williams.
    â€œCrack on the head. Now look here, Tom—I’ve had to fight to get him away. If it hadn’t been for this charabanc business, I wouldn’t have got him. Even as it is, they wouldn’t have let him come if they’d known it was the best part of sixty miles, so I’ve told them we’ve come from Marley.”
    â€œMarley?” said Tom. “Why Marley?”
    â€œBecause I remembered the name, and it’s only about eight miles from here—and don’t start asking questions or I shall scream.”
    She stepped back from the car, but kept her hand upon it. Tom Williams looked at her curiously. The flush which had covered her face had now drawn together into a brilliant patch high up on either cheek, leaving the rest of the skin white and wet.
    â€œWhat is it?” he said. “What’s the matter?”
    That something was the matter was very certain. Nesta didn’t look like that for nothing. Not for the first time, he felt as if her affairs were a sort of trap in which he was caught and from which he had no hope of ever getting free. If it wasn’t for Nesta’s affairs, he and Min might be as happy as the day was long. Yet for the life of him he couldn’t keep out of Nesta’s affairs. What had been happening to make her look like that? He felt a horrid pang of apprehension, and his voice shook.
    â€œNesta—what’s the matter?”
    Nesta Riddell’s hand tightened on the side of the car. Just for a moment she had felt as if she were going to faint—“And a nice thing that would be!” she said to herself furiously.
    â€œNesta— ”
    She straightened up, leaning on the car, and said in a voice that was as low as a whisper but much harder.
    â€œHe’s talking about the Van Berg affair.”
    Tom Williams felt as if someone had hit him in the face with a wet towel. His jaw dropped, and his eyes bolted.
    â€œWhat?” he stammered.
    Nesta’s colour became the normal colour of an angry woman.
    â€œBe quiet, you fool!”
    â€œThe Van Berg—”
    â€œWill you be quiet!”
    â€œBut why?” said Tom Williams. “I mean why—I mean—”
    Nesta jumped into the car, sat down, and held him by the arm.
    â€œBecause he’s out of his head. Now shut your mouth and listen to me, because I’m not going to say it twice! I went in, and I’d hardly got in when the sister was called to the telephone about this charabanc affair! She left me alone with him, and there he was, muttering to himself like she said he’d been doing all along. All they’d been able to make out was ‘Jimmy Riddell’—and we may thank the Lord for that. He kept on saying it, but whilst I was there he said a pack of other things too—and my Lord, what things!”
    Tom shifted away from her, moving round so that he could see her face. A chill of foreboding ran up his spine.
    â€œWhat sort of things?” he said uneasily.
    â€œDamned dangerous things.”
    â€œWhat sort of things?”
    Nesta slipped her arm through his and brought her mouth close to his ear.
    â€œHe was talking about the emeralds.”
    Tom turned the colour of a tallow