By the time she was free of her wraps, she found that the Count had already walked some way ahead of her and, when she joined him, they proceeded in silence down the broad corridor which was uncarpeted.
The sound of their feet seemed to echo eerily and Alida in her grey dress and with uncovered head felt small and defenceless.
She had always been sensitive to smell.
Although it was very warm indoors, there was something that smelled sour and dank about this place that she could not put a name to.
Suddenly she knew what it was – it was the smell of fear!
They had walked a long way and she said to Count Ivan,
“I must insist that you tell me where we are going. I think perhaps I should not have come with you without asking the permission of the Grand Duchess.”
“There was no reason for
