The Woman of Gratz

4: Old Acquaintance

When they got to the house, Mrs Dorran the cook and Emily and Megs, the two maids, were just sitting down to breakfast in the little servants' hall. They were amazed when Mr and Mrs Lightning walked in through the back door, looking as if they'd been out all night. 'Yes, we have,' said Mirabelle ruefully in response to Mrs Dorran's greeting. 'Yes, a cup of tea would be lovely.'

'It's not often we see our chauffeur and his wife sitting down here,' Mrs Dorran remarked, pouring them both out a cup of tea and offering them bacon and eggs - which they gratefully accepted. 'You normally eat upstairs with the master - not that it's any of my business, but it's an odd way to go on, I must say.'

'You may be seeing more of us, Mrs Dorran,' said Leon, whose natural early-morning energy was slightly dampened this morning after a very energetic night's work. 'Have you met Miss Maria yet?'

'Miss Maria?' repeated Mrs Dorran, puzzled.

'That's the lady what came the day before yesterday,' said Emily, 'the one we made up the room for.'

'That's the very woman,' agreed Leon, tucking into bacon and eggs.

'Who is she, then? She looks foreign.'

'She is from a tiny village called Gratz, which before the War was in a country called Hungary. She is famous as a political agitator, and she's been in trouble with the police in the countries where she's lived. But she is also an old acquaintance of Mr Manfred, and he has invited her to come and stay here, where she's safe from the foreign police.'

'How romantic!' exclaimed Megs. 'Is he in love with her? Is it one of those great romances like Rudolf Valentino?'

Leon and Mirabelle exchanged glances, at which Megs cried, 'Oh, it is! How lovely!' and clapped her hands together in an ecstasy of anticipation. 'Are they going to be married?'

'I think they already are,' said Leon quietly, looking at Mirabelle.

Mirabelle thought quickly. 'When - we went out yesterday afternoon ... they could ... yes, they could be,' she agreed.

'A secret wedding?' Megs was over the moon at the thought, but Mrs Dorran hushed her. 'Calm yourself, girl,' she said, 'and finish your tea. The master won't thank you for spilling tea all over the tablecloth.'

Mirabelle ate her bacon and eggs quickly. How could George be married so quickly? But he had so many contents among influential people - he could probably have pulled some strings.

'In any case,' said Leon to the servants around the table, 'I think that Mr Manfred and the lady will like to be alone as much as possible.'

'What about Raymond?' Mirabelle asked, in a low voice.

Leon raised eyes to the ceiling. 'I expect that Raymond will find his way down here soon!'

'Well, if you want to know what's happening upstairs' - Emily handed Mirabelle the handset of the telephone. Mirabelle gave her a brilliant smile of thanks, and put the receiver to her ear.

'Yes, the phone in the breakfast room isn't properly on the hook,' she said. 'They're discussing the weather.'

'That means George is planning something. He never discusses the weather except as a distraction,' said Leon.

'George is advising Maria that it's going to rain, and she should stay indoors this morning. She says ...' Mirabelle paused. '... she says she will rest because she was very busy last night. She's going to her room.' She looked up at Leon, who was staring intently at her.

'Darling,' he said, 'I think we need to spend this morning in the mews - to stop Maria communicating with any more visitors.'

At this moment there was a commotion outside, and the boy came in, taking off his cap and unfastening his cycle clips. 'I've got the papers,' he said, and then saw Mirabelle and Leon. 'What's up?' he demanded, 'Boss thrown you out?'