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.‘He saw me! He looked into my eyes! Why did he just walk away without even speaking to me?’The sun was going down now and the sky turning grey.Greyness filled Adella’s heart too as she recalled what Jane had told her.Digby had taken her into the Botanical Gardens for a wager.She had not thought anything of it, when she first heard it.She could only remember how happy she had been on that wonderful afternoon.Bleak darkness invaded her mind, extinguishing the golden happiness, the joyful dream of her love for Digby.He had lied to her all along.He did not love her, as she loved him with her whole heart.And she did love him.Just the sight of him for that brief moment in the street below had filled her with such delight.No one else in the world would ever be able to make her feel like that.She was drowning in a black misery, a deep and terrible pain as she realised how the rest of her life would be without him.And this feeling that swamped her was spilling out into the shadowy Square, the lovely garden, which seemed like nothing more than a prison to her now.There was nothing she could do, nowhere for her to go but back to No.82, the tall white house that had never really felt like a home to her.Numb with misery, she climbed the steps and rang the bell.The old butler came to let her in.“Your uncle has put back dinner,” he announced.“He is waiting for you in the study.”Adella climbed the stairs, feeling as if her whole body had turned to lead.Uncle Edgar was sitting at the desk, adding more matchsticks to the huge model of the Red Fort.A candelabrum stood beside him to illuminate his work and the light from the three candles threw flickering shadows over his bony face.He smiled at her as she came into the study.“You have taken your time,” he began.“I suppose you have been with your beau, making up for the long time you have kept him waiting.”His voice seemed to come from far, far away, for Adella’s ears were filled with a rushing nose like the sea crashing onto a rocky shore.“Rehearsing for your new role as Lady Fowles?” he continued and gave a cackle of laughter.“I must say you don’t look very happy at the prospect.But I daresay you’ll brighten up when you get your hands on the family jewels and the golden dinner service at Manningham.”‘I have to tell him,’ Adella thought, but she could not think of the words to do so.“So, where is the ring? I hope he has given you a good one – a hefty diamond, if not several?”Uncle Edgar stood up, peering eagerly at her hands.Instinctively Adella stepped back.Uncle Edgar was frowning now.“What’s wrong with you? Has he not given you a ring? What’s my Lord playing at?”Still she could not speak, but she did not need to, for now he understood.He shouted at Adella,“What have you done? Refused him again, you little minx? After all the money I have spent on you!”When she did not deny this, Uncle Edgar raised his fists in the air and brought them down with a savage blow on his model Fort, smashing it into a thousand fragments, so that splinters of matchsticks rained down on the carpet.“Get out!” he roared.“Get out of here, you stupid girl!”Terrified, Adella fled from the study and ran to her bedroom.All the way there, she could hear her uncle’s shouts and the crash of books and furniture falling to the floor as he raged against her.She lay on her bed and waited until it was dark and the sounds of turmoil from below gradually died down.It frightened her to think what might have happened if her uncle had struck her instead of his model Fort.She was sure that was what he had wanted to do and she did not feel safe, even here in her bedroom with the door locked.No one came to call her for dinner and even Beth seemed to have deserted her.When all had gone quiet downstairs and she could no longer hear doors slamming or Uncle Edgar’s voice, she reached for her bell-pull and tugged it gently.A few moments later there was a scratch at the door and she went to open it.“Miss? Are you all right?” The maid’s mob-capped head peered into the room.“Beth,” Adella whispered, her voice was little more than a croak.“Beth, I need your help!”She had to get away.Beth would help her.Beth would know of somewhere she could go and escape from this darkness, this agony of loss and betrayal.*Digby was utterly exhausted.He lay back on the narrow bed in his dark attic room and closed his eyes.The house was very quiet, for the children were in bed and asleep and the Judge and Mrs.Dryden had gone to the theatre.They had invited him to join them, as the Judge was very pleased with Digby.The lawyers had won their important case and were full of praise for his tireless efforts to help them.“You are becoming indispensable,” the Judge had said.“Come out with us and relax.We will enjoy your company.”But Digby had no desire for the bright lights and the drama of the theatre.He felt utterly drained and empty and he longed only to sleep and to forget himself and the awful mess that his life had become.But he could not relax.As soon as he closed his eyes, desperate to drift off into peaceful oblivion, all he could see was the lost betrayed look on Adella’s face yesterday in the Square, as she watched him walk away.He felt such terrible guilt and pain for letting her down again.Yet what else could he have done?Digby tossed and turned restlessly.Now he could hear voices down below on the stairs and the sound of hurrying footsteps.What was going on? The footsteps came closer, thudding on the wooden stairs that led up to the attics.And then there was a thump on his door and a loud voice calling his name.“Digby? Are you in there?”Digby’s heart turned over.He knew that voice so well.His old friend, Lord Ranulph!He struggled into his dressing gown and went to open the door.“Is she here?” Lord Ranulph’s voice was breathy and urgent.“Has she come to you?”His dark hair was rumpled and sweat gleamed on his face.Behind him on the landing Digby could see Jane’s slender figure.Her eyes were wide with anxiety.“Ranulph? Steady, sir,” Digby said, taking hold of his friend’s arm.“It’s good to see you after so long.But what’s going on?”Lord Ranulph shook his head dumbly.He seemed in great distress.Jane came forward.“Adella is missing!” she said, a quaver in her voice.“She is not in her room and she has not been seen since this morning.Both she and her maid have disappeared.”On this hot summer night the attic, high under the roof tiles, was very warm.But Digby was suddenly cold with shock.“It’s true,” Lord Ranulph was saying.“Her uncle sent for me this evening to see if she had come to me.”“Why would she go to you?” Digby was confused and beginning to feel worried too.Lord Ranulph told how he had spoken to Adella and released her from any obligation to be engaged to him.“But her uncle will not accept this.He is half crazy with anger.He thought that she must have changed her mind and agreed to marry me after all.”Digby blinked, struggling to clear his head.“But she didn’t?’“No! Her uncle raged at her, but she did not give way.And now – she is gone.” Lord Ranulph’s face was ashy with strain.“Digby, have you seen her? Have you spoken to her?” Jane asked.“No.Oh, God!” Digby put his head in his hands
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