CHAPTER IXAt a quarter past seven Lady Dryden tried the door and found it locked. Ridiculous nonsense. She didn’t approve of people locking themselves in. Particularly she didn’t approve of Lila locking herself in. It was a measure of defence, and she was inclined to suspect it of being a measure of defiance. She knocked in a peremptory manner and said,
‘Let me in at once, Lila!’
There was a little delay, but not much. Lila stood back from the door and received an astonished stare. She was still wearing the grey skin and white jumper, only the coat had been removed and thrown down carelessly across the foot of the bed. She had stopped crying some time ago, but the marks of it showed on her face.
Lady Dryden was brisk.
‘You haven’t left yourself much time to dress. You’ll have to hurry.
