Read Online Will O’ the Wisp by Patricia Wentworth - Free Book Online

wouldn’t touch him with a barge pole. I know of him.”
    â€œDavid, that little idiot’s gone up to meet him. She’s been having a silly flirtation with him just out of sheer contradictoriness and because George for once in his life said ‘No.’ That’s why I was so anxious to get her down here.”
    â€œWell, I don’t quite see what we can do about it,” said David. “I expect she’s pretty well able to look after herself, you know.”
    â€œShe isn’t . Girls aren’t—they think they know everything, and they don’t—Yes, another three minutes, please.”
    â€œAll the same, my dear girl—”
    â€œNo, David— listen . I want to tell you. I got on to the little wretch. And she’s dining with him, and then they’re going to a revue, and then on to a night-club to dance. That’s all bad enough; but she’s proposing to sleep at my flat.”
    â€œWell?”
    â€œShe mustn’t .”
    â€œWhy not?”
    â€œThere’s nobody there. That’s what I wanted to tell you. The cook’s mother’s ill, and I said she could sleep at home; and the other girl’s having a holiday. She simply mustn’t come home with that man to an empty flat.”
    David whistled again.
    â€œPerhaps the cook will have stayed.”
    â€œNo—she’d just gone. Folly told me so and rang off before I could say anything. I couldn’t get on again. If the last train hadn’t gone, I’d come up myself. Of course I could get a car and come. Only then Betty would have to know, and I don’t want her to. She’d tell one of the Aunts, and they’d tell Grandmamma, and the Family’d go on talking about it for the next hundred years or so.”
    â€œNo,” said David. “You can’t come up. What do you want me to do?”
    â€œWell, if you could be there when they get back. The little wretch has got my key. It was in my bag, and she simply helped herself to it. What did you say?”
    â€œNever mind.”
    â€œNo, don’t cut us off—I want three minutes more. David, are you there?”
    â€œYes—go on. What am I to do with her?”
    â€œI thought perhaps Julie—she’s such a little dear, she won’t talk—I don’t want the Family to know.”
    â€œGood Lord—no! Look here, Eleanor, don’t worry. And don’t dream of coming up. I’ll fix something. Julie’s only got one spare room; but I can sleep at the office—I do sometimes. Now, is that all?”
    â€œYes. David—don’t be very angry with her.”
    David fairly snorted.
    â€œShe wants a good leathering!”
    He hung up the receiver and came back to the table.
    â€œWho are we taking in instead of you?” said Frank with a laugh. “Is it Eleanor?”
    â€œNo—Folly March. She’s got herself stuck in town, and Eleanor’s fussed.”
    â€œI like Folly,” said Julie.
    David was surprised to find himself liking Julie the better for it. He couldn’t imagine why. He finished a rather tepid helping of beef-steak pie, and as soon as the maid had left the room, he told Julie pretty nearly everything that Eleanor had told him.
    Julie was deeply interested.
    â€œOf course I’ll have her. But how are you going to get hold of her? Oh! I’ve got a lovely plan! Let’s go to all the night-clubs.”
    â€œUs!” said Frank with vehemence.
    â€œYou and me and David, Franko. I think it would be tremendous fun.”
    â€œNothing doing,” said Frank. “Look here, David, Julie’s not on in this. We’ll take Folly in, though, if you can collect her. What did you say the man’s name was?”
    â€œI didn’t say—but it’s St. Inigo.”
    Frank’s eyebrows went up, and he exclaimed sharply:
    â€œSt. Inigo! She’s rather going the limit, isn’t