The Blind Side by Patricia Wentworth

painted lips were in abrupt and shocking contrast with its pallor. She gave a faint sobbing cry and stammered out words which made no sense.
    â€œYou—I thought—oh!”
    Lee had turned very nearly as pale. She went back until she came to the wall, and leaned there.
    Mavis put out a groping hand and fell.

CHAPTER IX
    Mavis’s swoon was sufficiently prolonged to be alarming. They got her on to the bed, and after a while she came round and began to cry in a hysterical manner. It was manifestly impossible to take her down two flights of stairs and along to the end of the street, whence Peter had proposed to despatch her in the direction of Isabel.
    It was upon Peter that her eyes first rested. She said with a choking gasp, “I thought I saw Lee Fenton.” To which he returned with some grimness, “You did.”
    It was after this that the hysterical weeping came on. The sight of Lee seemed to make her so much worse that Miss Fenton, not unwillingly, retired to the sitting-room. She was immediately followed by the indignant Mr. Renshaw.
    â€œLook here, Lee—”
    â€œYou’d better go back to her, hadn’t you?”
    â€œI’m damned if I’ll go back!”
    â€œYou can’t leave her alone.”
    â€œWell, I’m not going to be alone with her.”
    â€œYou appear to have been alone with her all night,” said Lee with stiff, strange lips. Her eyes were a stranger’s eyes. They looked upon Mr. Renshaw for the first time, and found him a displeasing sight.
    Peter was appalled.
    â€œLee, you can’t possibly think—”
    â€œWhat am I to think?”
    Peter ran both hands violently through his hair. He then gripped her wrists.
    â€œWoman, do you want to hear me swear?”
    â€œYou have been swearing,” said Miss Fenton loftily, but her heart was extraordinarily lightened. This was not the language of conscious guilt.
    The grip on her wrists tightened painfully.
    â€œIt’s nothing to what I can do if you get me going. No, look here, Lee, don’t be a fool. You’re not one really, and only a blithering, blasted little fool could possibly imagine what you’re pretending to think.”
    â€œMavis—”
    â€œMavis gives me a pain in the neck—she always has, and she always will.”
    â€œSsh! The door’s open.”
    â€œI’d like to shout it from the housetops!” said Peter, with ferocity. “I’ve never had any use for her. And she’s just ruined my night’s rest, and butted in when I was going to kiss you.”
    He let go of her wrists suddenly and put his arms round her, but she pushed him away.
    â€œNo! Oh, Peter—no! I didn’t come for that. You mustn’t—we mustn’t. Something dreadful has happened.”
    It was not so much the words that gave him pause. There was an urgency in her voice and in the thrust of her hands. He took fright and said roughly,
    â€œNot to you! My God—not to you!”
    She said, “Oh, Peter, I don’t know. Oh, Peter, help me!”
    â€œIt isn’t that man—that damned dago?”
    â€œNo—no—oh, no.”
    His face cleared.
    â€œWhat do you want to frighten me like that for? What’s the matter? What’s happened?”
    She caught his arm.
    â€œPeter, that’s just it—I don’t know.”
    â€œBut you said ‘something dreadful.’”
    â€œYes—it was—it must have been—but I don’t know what.” She was shaking all over, and the words shook too.
    He got her over to the sofa, made her sit down, and piled three cushions at her back. Then he took her hands and said,
    â€œTell me.”
    She had wondered whether she would be able to, but the words came with a rush.
    â€œSomething dreadful has happened in Ross Craddock’s flat.”
    He got up then, went quickly to the door which communicated with the bedroom, and shut it.