The Toff and the Kidnapped Child Read Free

click of toes and heels, straightened up and turned into a wider passage which had polished linoleum on the floor, and walked sedately towards Miss Abbott’s rooms. Bright light came from the top of a door. Caroline slowed down a little, wondering why the housemistress could possibly want her as late as this, and whether matron was wrong. Abby had a lot of faults, but she was a fair devil, and it wouldn’t be ‘fair’ to carpet anyone at half-past nine; so she really need not worry. Lightly, thoughts of the minor misdemeanours which might have counted against her passed through her mind, but these faded as she tapped at the door and Miss Abbott called: “Come in.”
    Caroline opened the door cautiously, saw the housemistress sitting in her armchair, with some sewing by her side, and realised that no one else was in the room; that was a good sign. She smiled; and she did not yet know how compelling that smile could be, and how even the most jaundiced and sceptical member of the staff was affected by it. She had a quality of naturalness, inherited from her mother, which made her popular with everyone. She had other qualities, only just beginning to make themselves apparent, which meant that before long men would be eyeing her. At sixteen, she was as mature in figure as many women five years older, and she walked with a long-legged grace which no one could fail to notice.
    â€œOh, it’s you, Caroline. Come in and shut the door.” Miss Abbott, grey-haired, severe looking, very slightly faded, and dressed now, as she usually was, in a pale grey suit, always looked cool. There was no censoriousness in her voice, nothing to suggest trouble. “A rather unexpected thing has happened,” she went on, “and I want you to keep it to yourself no matter how tempting it may be to tell the other girls. May I have your promise, please?”
    â€œYes, Miss Abbott,” Caroline answered; and she did not realise that the housemistress felt a warmth of affection for a child who would undoubtedly keep her word. She herself was more puzzled than ever.
    â€œVery well. You know that we make it a strict rule that none of the girls may be out of the school grounds after half-past nine, in any circumstances, but the Head has agreed that you are going to be the exception.” Abby seemed to be taking pleasure in being mysterious, and Caroline fought back her impatience with excitement. “Your father is passing through Hapley Station on the train which arrives from London at ten minutes to ten, and stays for ten minutes. He is very anxious to have a word with you, and I told him that you could be at the platform to talk with him.”
    Caroline’s eyes glowed. “Oh, wiz—” she began, and corrected herself almost unthinkingly: “Wonderful! Thank you ever so much, Miss Abbott.”
    â€œThat’s perfectly all right, provided you keep your promise, and you come straight back,” Miss Abbott said. “I shall expect you at a quarter past ten. Tap when you’re in.”
    â€œOh, I will!”
    â€œAnd put a coat on, there’s a chillier wind than there was this afternoon,” said Miss Abbott.
    Five minutes later, raincoat over her arm for it was warmer than Miss Abbott had thought, Caroline hurried across the front garden, then through a side gate and out of the school grounds. There was a certain excitement in being here so late; even on a dull evening although it was still daylight, and should be still quite light when she came back. It was twenty minutes to ten, and she had just time to get to the station. Now and again she broke into a run, she was so anxious not to miss a moment of this unexpected meeting. A little breathless, she hardly believed that she was going to see her father, and did not ask herself why he was travelling by train and not by car, as he usually did. She heard a train whistle, a long way off, as she turned towards the station. She