Chapter 5It was five days before Elizabeth had any news of Adrian Butler.
For five afternoons Bessie dragged Lady Cardon’s asthmatic pekingese for a walk along the road that bordered the wood, while Elizabeth, imprisoned in the garden, sat on the lawn in front of the house too miserable with anxiety and apprehension even to talk to Nerina.
Lord Cardon’s threat to communicate with Adrian’s Colonel had been extremely effective in so far as getting his own way was concerned. Elizabeth was terrified of doing anything that might hurt Adrian’s chances of promotion and with an effort that only Nerina realised the full cost of she forced herself to be pleasant to Sir Rupert when he called and to appear before her father and mother controlled and dry-eyed.
It was only when she was alone with her
