“Please take household down to cottage at once, and make preparations for weekend party there. Catch 5:49 train.”

“Please take household down to cottage at once, and make preparations for weekend party there. Catch 5:49 train.”

There was nothing unusual about it, it was just the sort of message she herself had frequently sent before, when she had arranged a party at her riverside bungalow on the spur of the moment. She always took the whole household down, leaving an old woman as caretaker. Chilvers would not have seen anything wrong with the message, and like a good servant had carried out his orders faithfully enough.

“Me, I remained,” explained Élise, “knowing that madame would wish me to pack for her.”