Only Time Will Tell (The Clifton Chronicles, #1)(82)

‘Miss Emma is not here, sir.’

‘What? Then where is she?’ demanded Barrington as he tried to stand up, but wobbled unsteadily for a moment before falling back into the chair.

‘I have no idea, sir. She and Mrs Barrington left the house just after midnight.’





38


‘WHERE DO YOU THINK they’ve gone?’ asked Harry, once Giles had described what happened after he had arrived back at the Manor House.

‘I’ve no idea,’ said Giles. ‘I was asleep when they left the house. All I could get out of Jenkins was that a taxi had taken them to the station just after midnight.’

‘And you say your father was drunk when you returned home last night?’

‘As a skunk, and he hadn’t sobered up by the time I came down for breakfast this morning. He was shouting and screaming at anyone who crossed his path. He even tried to blame me for everything. That was when I decided to go and stay with my grandparents.’

‘Do you think your grandfather might know where they are?’

‘I don’t think so, although he didn’t seem that surprised when I told him what had happened. Grandma said I could stay with them for as long as I wanted to.’

‘They can’t be in Bristol,’ said Harry, ‘if the taxi took them to the station.’

‘They could be anywhere by now,’ said Giles.

Neither of them spoke again for some time, until Harry suggested, ‘Your villa in Tuscany perhaps?’

‘Unlikely,’ said Giles. ‘That’s the first place Papa would think of, so they wouldn’t be safe there for long.’

‘So it has to be somewhere your father would think twice about before going after them.’ Both boys fell silent again, until Harry said, ‘I can think of someone who might know where they are.’

‘And who’s that?’

‘Old Jack,’ said Harry, who still couldn’t quite bring himself to call him Captain Tarrant. ‘I know he’s become a friend of your mother’s, and she certainly trusts him.’

‘Do you know where he might be at the moment?’

‘Anyone who reads The Times knows that,’ said Harry scornfully.

Giles punched his friend on the arm. ‘So where is he, clever clogs?’

‘He’ll be at his office in London. Soho Square, if I remember correctly.’

‘I’ve always wanted an excuse to spend a day in London,’ said Giles. ‘It’s just a pity I’ve left all my money back at the house.’

‘Not a problem,’ said Harry. ‘I’m flush. That Atkins fellow gave me a fiver, although he did say I was to spend it on books.’

‘Don’t worry,’ said Giles, ‘I can think of an alternative plan.’

‘Like what?’ asked Harry, looking hopeful.

‘We can just sit around and wait for Emma to write to you.’

It was Harry’s turn to punch his friend. ‘OK,’ he said. ‘But we’d better get going before anyone finds out what we’re up to.’





‘I’m not in the habit of travelling third class,’ said Giles as the train pulled out of Temple Meads.

‘Well, you’d better get used to it while I’m paying,’ said Harry.

‘So tell me, Harry, what’s your friend Captain Tarrant up to? I know the government has appointed him Director of the Citizens Displacement Unit, which sounds pretty impressive, but I’m not sure what he actually does.’

‘What it says,’ said Harry. ‘He’s responsible for finding accommodation for refugees, in particular those families who are escaping the tyranny of Nazi Germany. He says he’s carrying on his father’s work.’

‘Class act, your friend Captain Tarrant.’

‘You don’t know the half of it,’ said Harry.

‘Tickets, please.’

The two boys spent most of the journey trying to work out where Emma and Mrs Barrington could possibly be, but by the time the train pulled into Paddington Station, they still hadn’t come to any firm conclusions.

They took the tube to Leicester Square, emerged into the sunlight and went in search of Soho Square. As they made their way through the West End, Giles became so distracted by the bright neon lights and shop windows full of goods he’d never seen before that Harry occasionally had to remind him why they’d actually come to London.

When they reached Soho Square, neither of them could have missed the steady flow of bedraggled men, women and children, heads bowed, shuffling in and out of a vast building on the far side of the square.

The two young men dressed in blazers, grey flannels and ties looked strangely incongruous as they entered the building and followed the arrows directing them to the third floor. Several of the refugees stood to one side to allow them to pass, assuming they must be there on official business.

Giles and Harry joined the long queue outside the director’s office, and might have been there for the rest of the day if a secretary had not come out and spotted them. She walked straight up to Harry and asked if he had come to see Captain Tarrant.

‘Yes,’ said Harry. ‘He’s an old friend.’

‘I know,’ said the woman. ‘I recognized you immediately.’