Page 54 of The Stranger in Room Six
‘The British Union of Fascists. Members are known as Blackshirts. The BUF has been banned now, but some folk are still secretly part of it. The police accused the Colonel of being one of them.’
‘Surely he wouldn’t do such a dreadful thing,’ Mabel stammered. ‘He just wants everyone to have more opportunities and to cut down on unemployment.’
Cook’s eyes narrowed. ‘How do you know that, love? He didn’t get you involved, did he?’
A cold fear shot through Mabel as she thought of all those leaflets. The ones that she herself had willingly put into envelopes and hidden in the woods.
‘No,’ she said. ‘He didn’t.’
35
The following morning, after a restless night, Mabel was called to her aunt’s bedroom. Usually, at this time, Clarissa would be sitting at breakfast, perfectly coiffured, often with the Colonel, who would have ridden over early (it must have been early because Mabel never actually saw him arriving). They would be ‘perusing’The Timesand eating poached eggs.
But today her aunt looked pale and wan as she perched on the pink chaise longue by the window, still in her nightclothes. There were dark circles under her eyes.
‘Has the Colonel returned?’ Mabel asked.
‘No,’ said her aunt dully.
‘When will he be back?’ she asked hesitantly.
‘I don’t know.’
Her aunt turned to her. Those beautiful blue eyes were so like Mama’s, yet somehow cold and hard. ‘Did you tell anyone about the work we were doing? Those leaflets you delivered?’
Mabel felt herself reddening. ‘No.’
Her aunt continued to stare and Mabel felt obliged to qualify her statement. Speaking in a firm voice that wasn’t like her own at all, she said, ‘Of course I didn’t, although I don’t see what’s wrong in rebelling against the government if it’s going to make Britain great again, like you said.’
Her aunt stood up, furiously crushing her cigarette into a shell-shaped ashtray, a wild look on her face. ‘Unfortunately, there are too many people in this world who do not know what is good for them.’
As she spoke, tyres crunched over the drive outside. Mabel ran to the window. ‘It’s the police again.’
They stood side by side, looking down as a lone figure in uniform got out of the car and strode to the front door.
‘I can’t see the Colonel,’ said Mabel in a quiet voice.
Her aunt was silent.
Together they waited. For the first time in her life Mabel felt attuned to her aunt. It was not a dissatisfactory feeling and she soon felt herself reaching for Clarissa’s hand, but her aunt recoiled and moved away. Just then, there was a knock on the door.
It was Frannie! She must be back at work after her compassionate leave. Mabel hadn’t seen her since that awful day at the hunt.
‘The policeman wants to see you, miss,’ she said.
‘Tell him I’ll join him in the drawing room when I’ve dressed,’ declared her aunt haughtily. Her tone suggested she was back to her usual self.
‘Not you, my lady. He was talking about Miss Mabel.’
Frannie’s eyes were cold and harsh, and somewhat gleeful.
‘Why?’ said Mabel shakily.
‘He didn’t say.’
‘I will go with her,’ said Aunt Clarissa.
‘He requested that Miss Mabel should go alone.’
