‘I’ve been working so hard on the committees, and Edwin is in retreat — I should love a day in the country,’ she admitted when Laurence invited her to join them. ‘But I hate intruding. You and Caroline enjoy yourselves together, do.’
But she yielded easily when Caroline too insisted on her coming.
‘All right. But you two go ahead. I’ll join you before lunch, if you tell me where to find you.
They described the area where they intended to park on the banks of the Medway where it borders Kent and Sussex.
There they were at midday sunning themselves lusciously and keeping an intermittent look-out for Helena’s car.
She arrived at half past twelve, and they could see as she bumped down the track towards them that she had brought two people with her, a man beside her in the front and a woman with a black hat at the back.
The couple turned out to be the Baron and Mrs Hogg.
Helena, uncertain of her welcome, and unusually nervous, began immediately, ‘Such fun. Willi phoned me just after you’d left and d’you know what, he’s been meaning to come down here the first opportunity. He wants to look at an Abbey in these parts, don’t you, Willi? So I made him come. And I’ve brought poor Mrs Hogg, I made her come. It was a lovely ride, wasn’t it? Poor Georgina’s had neuralgia. She called round to the house by chance just after you’d left, so I made her come.
A day in the country will do you a world of good, Georgina. We shan’t interfere with your plans, Laurence. We’ve brought extra lunch and you can go off by yourselves if you like while we sit in the sun.’
Helena looked a trifle shaky. While they prepared lunch she made the opportunity of a private word with Caroline, ‘I hope you don’t mind dreadfully, dear, about my bringing Georgina. She turned up so desolate, and there was I so obviously preparing the picnic basket. I asked her on impulse and of course she jumped to it — I was rather sorry afterwards, remembering how much you dislike her. Do try to ignore her and if she says anything funny to you just shake her off. I know how you feel about Georgina for I can’t bear the sight of her at times, but one tries to be charitable.—’
‘Don’t you think,’ Caroline said, ‘that you misconstrue charity?—’
‘Well, charity,’ said Helena, ‘begins at home. And Georgina
‘Mrs Hogg is not home,’ Caroline said.
‘Oh dear, I wish I hadn’t asked her to come. It was foolish of me, I’ve spoiled your day.’
‘The day isn’t over yet,’ said Caroline cordially, for the weather was glorious really.
‘But still I wish I hadn’t brought her, for another reason. Something happened on the way here, Caroline. It was disturbing.’ Caroline saw she was distressed.
‘Come over here and help me to take out the bottles,—’ Caroline said, ‘and tell me what happened.’
‘I gave Georgina a tablet for her neuralgia before we set off,’ Helena said, ‘and sat her comfortably at the back of the car. Before we were out of London I said over my shoulder, “Are you all right, Georgina?” She replied that she was feeling sleepy. I went on chatting to Willi and thought no more of Georgina at the back. I assumed she had fallen asleep for I could hear her breathing heavily.’
‘She snores,’ Caroline said. ‘I remember at St Philumena’s I could hear her snoring six doors away.
‘Well, yes, she was snoring,’ Helena said. ‘And I thought the sleep would do her good. After a while she stopped snoring. I said to Willi, “She’s dead asleep.” Then Willi’s cigarette lighter gave out and he asked for some matches. I thought there were some at the back of the car, but I didn’t want to wake Georgina. So I pulled up. And when I turned to reach for the matches, I couldn’t see Georgina.’
‘Why, what had happened?’
‘She simply wasn’t there,’ Helena declared. ‘I said to Willi, “Heavens, where’s Georgina?” and Willi said, “My God! she’s gone!” Well, just as he said this, we saw Georgina again. She suddenly appeared before our eyes at the back of the car, sitting in the same position and blinking, as if she’d just then woken up. It was as if there’d been a black-out at the films. I would have thought I’d been dreaming the incident, but Willi apparently had the same experience. He said, “Where have you been, Mrs Hogg? You vanished, didn’t you?” She looked really surprised, she said, “I’ve been asleep, sir.”‘
‘It may have been some telepathic illusion shared by you and Willi,’ Caroline said. ‘I shouldn’t worry.
‘Maybe it was. I haven’t had an opportunity to discuss this privately with Willi. It was a most strange affair; truly I wish I hadn’t brought Georgina. Sometimes I feel I can handle her, but at other times she seems to get the better of me.’
‘Maybe when she goes to sleep she disappears as a matter of course,—’ Caroline said with a dry laugh so that Helena would not take her too seriously.
‘What a gruesome idea. Well, I swear that she did apparently vanish. All I saw when I first looked round was the empty seat.’
‘Maybe she has no private life whatsoever,’ Caroline said, and she giggled to take the grim edge off her words.
‘Oh, she has no private life, poor soul,’ Helena agreed, meaning that the woman had no friends.
Mrs Hogg ate heartily at lunch. Caroline sat as far away from her as possible to avoid the sight of her large mouth chewing, and the memory of that sight, when at St Philumena’s, she had first observed Mrs Hogg sitting opposite to her at the refectory table, chew — pause —chew — pause. Mrs Hogg spoke little, but she was very much present.
After lunch, Caroline was stacking an empty food box in the boot of Helena’s car some distance from the rest of the party, when the Baron approached her.
‘Summer suits you, my Caroline,’ he said. ‘Your sun dress is charming. Green suits you, and you are plumper. I thought you a delightful picture at lunch, so secluded within your proud personality as you always seem to be and
