Her hair was so long that when she rode she invariably twisted it into a chignon, which she started high up at the back of her head so that a great deal of her hair was under her hat.
Now she thought that she might be able to rub out her hairpins and if she could do that, her hair would fall down her back and loosen the gag.
She then moved backwards and forwards against the wall and the Marquis, who was sitting up, was watching her.
Finally, as Odela shook her head, there was the faint tinkle as two hairpins fell to the ground.
A moment later by moving her lips as violently as she could, the gag slipped over her chin.
“I am – free,” she exclaimed. “Now I can talk to you. How could this – have happened?”
The Marquis could not answer, but she knew how much he wanted to.
She studied hi
