Read Online Gone Away by Marjorie Moore - Free Book Online

town, if you’ll come with me.”
    “That would be splendid, wouldn’t it, Pat? And loads nicer than venturing alone.”
    “Would I be de trop if I suggested making a fourth?” Ian Alastar ventured. “I should certainly like to have a glimpse of Port Said.”
    “Rather not. The more the merrier!” Claud responded. “It’s not much of a place, but well worth seeing if you haven’t been this way before.”
    “I couldn’t bear to miss anything,” Patricia admitted. “I’d love to go ashore.”
    “I believe it’s better to drive round, isn’t it?” Dr. Ian Ala s tar inquired of Claud Burny. “They tell me you can pick up carriages quite easily.”
    “Yes, a carriage is better than a car in Port Said. It’s a small place; you don’t want to go round too quickly; the pace of a gharry is just about right,” Claud explained. “The gharrys, as they are called, are for two,” he added. It really might be better, as we are a foursome, if we divide up and go in pairs.” Claud turned an inquiring glance in Maimie s direction. “That is, if you two girls don’t mind separating.”
    “Why should we mind?” Maimie broke in before Patricia had time to speak. “If it’s better to go in pairs, then I vote we do. You and Dr. Alastar won’t mind, will you?” she inquired, turning in the direction of the other two.
    Patricia fell in with the idea as graciously as she felt able. After all, there wasn’t any harm in Maimie going ashore without her, particularly with such an able escort as Claud Burny. She herself didn’t mind going with the doctor; in fact, she felt sure he would prove a pleasing companion. No, neither of those things was worrying her, but it was no use denying the fact that Claud had deliberately engineered an excuse to separate, and that Maimie, as an engaged girl, had been far too anxious to fall in with his suggestion. Not only that; with a fresh sense of disaster Patricia suddenly recalled that, as far as she knew, Maimie had never troubled to enlighten Claud as to the true purpose of her journey to the East.

 
    CHAPTER EIGHT
    T he sun beat down on Maimie’s scantily clothed body as she lay outstretched, by Claud’s side, on a brightly colored mattress on the sundeck. Before them the swimming pool sparkled in the brilliant sunlight, but the other chintz-covered mattresses set round the pool in attractive array were unoccupied. The anchored ship lay quietly on the breast of the still water, and they could clearly hear the soft lapping of the sea against the ship’s sides and the mewing of seagulls as they swooped and dived around the ship in search of food. Most of their fellow passengers, including Patricia and Ian, were still ashore, unwilling to return to their floating home until the last possible moment, unwilling to waste a moment of the time allowed them on land, for they would be nine days at sea before reaching Colombo, their next port of call. To Claud, Port Said had, with familiarity, lost its original attraction. After a hurried drive around, he had found no difficulty in persuading his companion that there was nothing more to see.
    He rolled over on his side and appraised his companion through half-closed eyes. “You’re very quiet. Falling asleep? ”
    “I’m just gloriously lazy. She stifled a yawn with the back of her hand. “It’s heavenly here. I do hope the others don’t get back too soon and spoil this peace.”
    “The launches are beginning to return with ominous rapidity. I heard one a moment ago.” Claud reached out for his beach jacket and, fumbling in the pocket, produced his cigarette case. “Have a smoke?” As Maimie nodded her acceptance, he lighted a cigarette for her and one for himself before continuing to speak. “Directly the passengers get back from shore they’ll make for the pool, you see if they don’t,” he said dejectedly. “Then it’ll be goodbye to this splendid isolation.”
    “Well, let’s hope they find Port Said too