CHAPTER THIRTEENIt was late in the afternoon when Amé opened the door of the library to find Hugo alone standing in front of the fireplace with a piece of paper in his hand.
“Where is Monseigneur?” she asked.
Hugo looked up at her with a strange expression on his face.
“Monseigneur?” he echoed. “Oh – Sebastian! I – oh! yes, he told me to tell you, if you asked, that he would be back here by five o’clock.”
His words were so disjointed and so unlike his usual calm, measured tones that Amé stared up at him in surprise.
“What is the matter, M’sieur Hugo,” she enquired.
“Matter?” he repeated and then as Amé waited, he said quickly, “Nothing – no, nothing is the matter.”
Ame closed the door behind her and came across the room. She was wearing a dress of white gauze with a soft fichu drape
