The Missing Angel by Erle Cox (english books to improve english txt) đ
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a couple of men on to watch Jones for a week or two,â he ordered. Then,
seeing the expression on the seniorâs face, he added, âAnd tell them to
be dashed careful theyâre not noticed.â
But Tydvilâs shadows drew a blank. Mainly because when Nicholas warned
him of his followers, Tydvil was, to use his own expression, dashed
careful there was nothing to notice.
But while Basil Williams was living a sinfully gay and happy life, Tydvil
Jones had a matter in hand that was rather more complicated than
troublesome. Billy Brewer had asked for an audience with his chief, and
had somewhat nervously informed him that Cranston had cited him as
corespondent in a case that he, Brewer, intended to defend.
Tydvilâs well acted dismayed surprise on a subject on which he was fully
informed, added to apprehension. The Chief was inexpressibly shocked at
the tidings. He pointed out to Brewer that he was facing the inevitable
results of his reckless past. âIt is a personal matter, Brewer, on which
perhaps, I have no right to dwell! But I cannot help thinking that such a
distressing affair must be extremely distasteful to Miss Brand.â
Billy admitted that Geraldine felt the publicity would be extremely
distasteful, but that she was in agreement with him that he should defend
the case.
âYou will perhaps recognise, Brewer,â Tydvil said stiffly, âthat while I
think you may be taking the right course, I find myself in a somewhat
difficult position. You will remember that in the police court
proceedings I defended you effectually, but very unwisely, by giving
evidence that was not basedâerâon fact.â
âI was very grateful, sir!â Billy conceded. âBut I donât think I will
need your evidence. I have another witness in Geraldine, who saw
Cranstonâs wife that night.â
âWell,â said Tydvil at length. âOf course, you have a right and a duty to
clear yourself from Cranstonâs assertions. But should the Court find
against you, I am afraid I shall have to reconsider our association. You
will, I think, see for yourself, that such a scandal associated with C.
B. & D. would be almost impossible for me to overlook.â
Billy bowed to the decision. He had expected that much, at least, and
thought himself lucky that Tyddie did not rule him out on the sole ground
of being named co-re.
Meanwhile, Tydvil sent for Cranston and diplomatically suggested that he
should withdraw his petition on the grounds of reasonable doubt. But he
found his man maliciously determined on vengeance on his wife arid Billy
Brewer. Tydvil, the head of C. B. & D., was obliged to recognise
Cranstonâs right as a husband. Tydvil, the sinner, knowing his own share
in the affair, felt an unrighteous longing to punch the sneering
vindictive face across his desk. He knew, or felt he knew, that Hilda
Cranston was as much sinned against as sinning, and that Cranston was
actuated by cold-blooded malevolence rather than by righteous wrath.
Finally, having learned that Hilda Cranston had left her husband and
obtained employment, he told the more or less injured man that he
intended to dismiss Brewer should Cranston obtain his decree. âOn the
contrary,â he added, âshould the Court decide against you, you must look
for another position. I have not been aware, until now, of the cause of
the friction in the warehouse between yourself and Brewer. I cannot have
the place disorganised through your private quarrels.â
But a day or two later Tydvil had more cause for concern than he dreamed.
Always generously concerned with the welfare of his employees, Tydvil
noticed one morning that Geraldine was suffering from a slight cold. When
they had finished with the mail, he said, âAnd now, the moment you have
finished typing those letters, put on your hat and go home.â
âButâŠ!â Geraldine began to protest.
âNo âButsâ,â laughed Tydvil. âBrewer might get that cold and that would
be a nuisance. You might get worse and be laid up, and that would be a
still worse nuisance. I might get it from you, and that would be a
catastrophe. Tell Miss Marsden to take your workâand give her a
dictionary. Her spelling is fearsome.â
Later that morning as Geraldine was tugging her hat on to the correct
angle, Tydvil looked up. âKeep in the sunshine, Miss Brand,â he advised,
âand donât let me see you again until youâve ceased being a walking
menace.â
Geraldine bade farewell to Billy in a sheltered corner of the warehouse,
where Billy recklessly defied the risks of infection, despite her
laughing protests, and departed. Next day she felt better. It was a day
that would make anyone feel betterâpure unclouded sunshine with the
first hint of Spring.
She rang Billy at the office and commanded that he should spend the
evening with her. She also heard of his intentions for a busy day and
other small, but to both, matters of prime personal importance, such as
that she had not sneezed once, he had no trace of a cold, she hated
missing their morning greeting in Tyddieâs office, he was feeling
miserable to see that Marsden kid in her throne, and that the flowers he
had sent her were glorious and that she was wearing one at the moment of
speaking.
The morning passed slowly. After lunch Geraldine reflected that it would
be nearly eight hours before she could see Billy again and that each hour
had sixty slug-like minutes. How to kill those slugs? Geraldine stood in
her garden and surveyed the blue sky. Then her feet danced her into her
bedroom, where she chose a soft green hat that-enhanced the gold of her
own bright helmet, because Billy liked that hat. Then she sought and
found a magazine and sallied forth. At her gate she paused and reflected
again. Then her face lit up and, humming softly to herself, she made her
way to the nearest tram line.
Fifteen minutes later a tram deposited one tall, lovely, grey-eyed,
demure and redheaded damsel, wearing a very becoming green hat, at a
corner near an entrance gate to the Botanic Gardens.
Unhurriedly, Geraldine strolled slowly towards the Gardens. One long
golden afternoon was hers to waste. Luxuriously she sniffed the soft air.
Appreciatively her eyes gathered in the signs of coming spring, followed
the wonderful wide sweep of lawns, and sparkled more brightly than the
sun on the still lake waters.
At the lakeâs edge, she held converse with a sooty black swan, unaware
that of the two she was the more graceful. For a while she sat dreaming,
her magazine unopened in her lap. Then a thought of tea intruded itself
into her mind. Still slowly she idled her way along winding paths until
she reached the kiosk under its wide shelters of green.
There were not a dozen people at the scattered tables overlooking the
lake. Geraldine drank her tea and ate scones with a healthy appetite,
lingering after she had finished, gazing at the haze of the city above
the tree tops in the distance. Somewhere under that haze was Billy, going
on his lawful occasions. He seemed nearer for the knowledge.
Her gaze lowered to the drive that led from the river gates. Anyone
watching her would have seen the dreaming look in her eyes change swiftly
to wide stare of bewilderment, that changed as swiftly to excitement.
Strolling along the wide path towards the kiosk, and deeply immersed in
themselves, came William Brewer and Mrs. Tydvil Jones.
There was no indecision in Geraldineâs movements. Swiftly she stood up
and, watching the advancing couple, she stepped behind the shelter of a
shrub. Then, screened by it, she walked slowly backward, dodging
carefully, keeping her prey under observation as she reached a clump of
bushes far enough away to cover her retreat if necessary, but close
enough to observe all she desired to observe.
Unaware of the wide, grey eyes that watched their every movement from
beneath their long, curved lashes, Billy Brewer and Amy appropriated a
table for themselves and settled downâBilly most obviously solicitous in
his gentle attentions to his surprising partner.
Every movement they made she followed with intense interest. She was
close enough, almost, to read the expressions on the two faces. A score
of emotions flashed into Geraldineâs eyes, but among them there was no
trace of anger. Bewildered curiosity predominated. It says much for
Geraldineâs perfect and unquestioning loyalty to Billy, that not for one
second did she believe the evidence of her startled senses. There, before
her eyes, was Billy Brewer flirting outrageously with Mrs. Tydvil
Jonesâflagrant devotion in his eyes. Yes, beyond doubt, it was Billy,
butâthat sense that women possess that is beyond the ken of man, assured
her heart and soul it was not her Billy. Just so, was she sure that his
partner was Amy Jones.
Only Geraldine herself knew the happy response of her heart to Billyâs
presence. But from the moment of her first glimpse of him her heart
scorned the impostor. Had it been her Billy, she knew that the steady,
unhurried pulse would have been raging with anger and jealousy, and
prompting her to shred the raiment of Amy Jones far and wide across the
green lawns.
Slowly, as the riot in her mind subsided, there emerged the fact that her
crazy guess at there being two Billy Brewers was true. Back to her mind
flashed the scene in the warehouse on the morning when her Billy had been
so gaily greeted by Amyâthe reason for which he had since so strenuously
denied all knowledge. So, thought Geraldine, Amy had been barking up the
wrong Billy that morningâŠ
Womanlike, all her scorn turned on the peccant Amy, who was so obviously
lapping up the devotion of the man opposite her. âTo think,â Geraldine
reflected, âthat poor Tyddie believes in that hypocritical she-devil.â
Another problem came into her mind. âDid Amy believe that her partner was
Billy BrewerâorâŠ?â Geraldine could follow that line of thought no
further. Despite the mystery that had lately surrounded his life and
morals, she had a very deep liking for Tyddie, to whom she had been
indebted for much thoughtful kindnessâher present afternoonâs holiday,
for example. She liked him so much that the thought of Amyâs gross
disloyalty to a man, who was far too good for her, excited contempt for,
and righteous wrath against, his betrayer.
It would have given her intense satisfaction to walk across to their
table and tell Amy exactly what she thought of her behaviour. But her
commonsense forbade. Tyddieâs secretary had no right whatever to crash
into his domestic affairs, however scandalous they might be. Besides, she
had a more urgent duty of love towards her own Billy. As she watched she
determined to find out if possible the real identity of his scandalous
double. Her heart hardened as she considered his disgraceful manoeuvres
with Amy. âThat,â she thought, âwas undoubtedly the man she had seen with
Hilda Cranston near His Majestyâs Theatre that night. That, too, was the
man who had involved Billy in all his unmerited tribulations.â There grew
up in her a fierce determination to make the duplicate of Billy Brewer
wish he had never been born.
The hour and a half before the two showed signs of separating, passed
without notice by the excited girl. After they had had tea they had
wandered, and Geraldine blessed the luxuriant growth of the gardens that
provided such ample cover for her spying, for which she felt no
compunction.
It was nearly five oâclock before they separated near the bridge over the
lake. Geraldine watched the leavetaking, that they supposed to be
unobserved, with an exclamation of virtuous anger. Then Amy turned
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