The Sapphire

Chapter two

hapter two

They went via Aunt Alma's flat in Doughty Court, in the Bloomsbury area of London, where they found Alma playing patience and listening to Mozart on the phonograph. When she heard about their prospective trip she was horrified.

'Mirabelle! You could be killed!'

'It's a holiday, dear,' Mirabelle reassured her. 'We'll stay out of trouble.'

'But what will you be doing? Are you going to see the art galleries? And you should visit the opera.'

They sat in Alma's little sitting room, drinking coffee, and discussed what they might be doing in Italy - without saying anything about the bank that they were going to investigate. Mirabelle mentioned that Leon's aunt would be in Florence while they were there, and Alma became very agitated.

'But, dear, you don't have a ball gown, you don't even have a maid with you to look after your things - how can you possibly mix with these people?'

'Ball gowns are out of fashion,' explained the patient Mirabelle, 'and in any case, in my condition I'm sure Leon's aunt won't expect me to attend any balls. I assume we'll just meet for tea, or whatever the Spanish aristocracy do.'

'You should take a phrase book,' said Alma firmly, but Leon interrupted gently.

'I'll ensure that Mirabelle has everything she needs. Don't worry.'

'We'll be quite safe, dear,' Mirabelle assured her. 'We'll be back next week.'

Her aunt regarded her with a sceptical eye. 'If you're not back soon, dear, I'll contact the British Embassy and demand your return.'

'She's convinced that Italy is full of bandits,' Mirabelle remarked to Leon as they walked back to Riley's taxi.

'It is,' answered Leon, 'but they are part of the government.'

Riley was about to close the door of the taxi on them when Alma came running down the steps from the flat, crying: 'Wait, Mr Riley!' Leon and Mirabelle looked out.

'What is it, dear?' asked Mirabelle, puzzled.

'You need a maid, dear,' said her aunt firmly. 'And you need a manservant, Mr Gonsalez,' she added to Leon. 'In the circles that you're going to be mixing in, it's expected. Now, don't try to argue,' she went on, holding up a hand to cut short Leon's objections, 'I'm going to tell Lucy tomorrow that she can have a few days off. And Mr Riley here can go with her, and Mr Davies.'

'But, Alma - ' Mirabelle began, 'we have to leave tonight. And they don't have passports.'

'You go ahead, dear, and wait for them. Where is your first stop, dear?' - this to Leon.

Leon was amused at her determination to reorganise their plans. 'George has booked us tickets on the Blue Train,' he replied. 'It leaves Calais at one o'clock tomorrow afternoon and reaches Menton the day after tomorrow. Then we'll travel on over the Italian border and on to Florence. But George is determined that we leave England this evening - I think he's trying to throw any would-be pursuers off the scent. If Mirabelle and I wait at Paris, then our followers could catch us up - I'll add them to my passport. But we only have two tickets booked.'

'They can buy additional tickets,' said Alma, firmly. Leon nodded and reached into his jacket for his wallet.

Ten minutes later they were on their way to Victoria Station, Alma having undertaken to organise their 'followers' on the morrow. Riley was very taken with the idea of becoming part of an official suite of servants to a 'gentleman and his lady wife,' and talked about it all the way to the station. Having seen 'the guvnor' and 'his missus' off on the train for Dover, he drove straight back to his lodgings to tell his colleague Edward Davies all about the job. They would have to be up early the next morning and hurry over to Miss Goddard's to collect her housemaid Miss Lucy Baines, so that they could catch the early ferry to Calais.