An Affair For the Baron Read Online Free PDF Page A

naïveté of a child in her early teens; in others, she was a mature woman.
    One thing seemed certain: she was very much afraid for that remarkable man, her father.

Chapter Four
    Coincidence?
    At last, the whole story was told.
    Mannering had listened without interruption, watching Ethel’s alert young face, understanding something of her emotions; yet he remained a little puzzled. She was obviously greatly worried about her father; on the other hand she seemed to disapprove of him. She was affectionate towards him, but there was a note of exasperation in the way she spoke, as when she said: “There’s absolutely no telling where he’ll be off to next.” When she had finished she leaned forward and stretched out her hands.
    â€œWill you help, Mr. Mannering?”
    â€œYes, of course,” Mannering said. “Let me go over what you’ve told me, to make sure I have it right.”
    â€œThat’s a good idea.”
    Mannering stretched his legs out as he, in turn, began to talk. The story went back for six months, to the April of that year, when Professor Alundo had come to America to give a series of Peace Lectures at most of the major cities of the United States. Some of the lectures were at universities, some at political meetings of both Democratic and Republican parties. The one in San Antonio was to be at the Political Centre of the exhibition known as the HemisFair, which was due to open in a week’s time. As far as Ethel had known, he had left England with no particular anxieties. A widower for several years, a Doctor of Philosophy who had gradually acquired a worldwide reputation for idealism with a strong leavening of practical commonsense, he had learned to live and travel by himself.
    A letter written from Los Angeles, three weeks before Ethel had flown to New York, had given the first hint of trouble. The Professor had said “… I am a little worried by some telephone calls, obviously from people who have little goodwill towards me, and I cannot imagine what I may have said or done to create such malice.”
    Mannering quoted, word for word.
    Ethel leaned forward: “What an incredible memory you have!”
    â€œIt works sometimes,” Mannering said dryly. “After that you had a card from San Francisco, which said nothing of this anxiety, only where he would be next. Then came the telephone call last night.”
    â€œAt half-past ten. It’s hard to believe it was only last night, it seems weeks—” She broke off. “I’m sorry.”
    â€œYou hadn’t expected the call. You were at your London flat, working late on some designs for magazine pictures, and were exasperated by the interruption – until you realised who was calling.” Or even after she had realised, Mannering reflected. “Your father sounded agitated, and asked you to get a packet from the safe at his flat in Knightsbridge, the keys of which were already in your charge. He told you to go to the Grand Park Hotel, on Park Avenue, near 51st Street, and said that he had already booked you in. Almost as soon as you arrived, he telephoned for you to bring the briefcase to Chicago. You are to call a number he gave you as soon as you get there.”
    Again, Ethel said in a wondering voice: “You remember every detail.”
    â€œIs this right, so far?”
    â€œAbsolutely.”
    â€œWhat did he sound like on the telephone today?”
    After a pause, Ethel said: “Preoccupied.”
    â€œIs that normal?”
    â€œOh, yes,” said Ethel. “Unless he’s lecturing, or talking shop, he’s the most preoccupied man imaginable. Exasperatingly so, sometimes! He kept breaking off, and—well, he sounded as if he was thinking about two things at once and finding it difficult to keep them separate in his mind. He even kept me waiting for a few moments while he checked the telephone number.”
    â€œWhat is the