The Blue Diamond by Annie Haynes Page B

Minnie,’’ she said cheerfully. “Probably she did not feel well, and is sitting down quietly somewhere; but I think I will just go down and speak to Mrs. Parkyns, and look into the rooms myself, and I think we must turn you into a nurse for the time being, Minnie. Be sure you let me know as soon as Nurse Marston comes back.’’
    â€œYes, my lady.’’ But the girl still looked uneasy and worried.
    Mavis followed Lady Laura and tucked her hand under her arm.
    â€œI am coming with you, mother dear. Yes, really you must let me,” as Lady Laura began to remonstrate. “Indeed, I could not sleep until we have found the nurse and heard what she has to say. Isn’t Hilda perfectly lovely, mother? Much prettier than we thought her last night.”
    â€œShe is very beautiful,” Lady Laura said abstractedly. “I fancy that Nurse Marston wished to speak to me about her. Perhaps she has discovered some clue to her identity. Ah, here is Parkyns!” as that functionary appeared, looking portly and important in her rich black silk. “Well, Parkyns, have you seen anything of Nurse Marston yet?”
    â€œNo, my lady,” the housekeeper replied with dignity. “Where the young woman can have put herself I can’t imagine. We have looked all over the bottom part of the house ourselves, me and Mr. Jenkins, as soon as Minnie said she couldn’t be found, and one of the maids has been upstairs. It really doesn’t seem as if she could be in the house.”
    Lady Laura felt bewildered.
    â€œIt is impossible that she can have gone out at this time of night without telling anyone!” she exclaimed. “You are sure she is not downstairs, you say, Parkyns?”
    â€œQuite sure, my lady! Leastways, we have been in every room except the smoking-room. Sir Arthur is there.”
    Lady Laura pondered a moment; then she turned down the passage leading to the smoking-room and opened the door. Sir Arthur was lying back on the lounge, his feet on a chair and his head thrown back as he lazily watched the rings of smoke curling up to the ceiling from his cigar.
    He sprang up in surprise when he saw his mother, with Mavis clinging to her arm and Mrs. Parkyns bringing up the rear.
    â€œWhy, mother, what is it? What has happened? Has there been a change for the worse?”
    â€œNo, no! Nothing of that kind,” Lady Laura said quickly, with an indefinable feeling of unrest as she noted the trend his anxiety had taken. “It is only that—have you by any chance seen Nurse Marston?”
    Arthur stared.
    â€œSeen Nurse Marston? My dear mother, no! Why, what do you mean? Is she lost?”
    â€œOh, no!” Lady Laura said helplessly. “Only we can’t find her.”
    Arthur laughed.
    â€œSeems much about the same thing, doesn’t it? How does it come about? Has she left her patient?”
    â€œShe was to come to me—” Lady Laura began.
    â€œShe left me with Hilda,” Mavis interjected, “and said she should not be away long.”
    â€œShe was particularly anxious to see her ladyship, Sir Arthur,” Parkyns added. “Sent Minnie down to me to get a letter to her ladyship before dinner, she did. We can’t see daylight in the matter, me and Mr. Jenkins can’t.”
    Arthur looked from one to the other in utter amazement as they mentioned further particulars; the story appeared to him improbable in the extreme, and he was inclined to ridicule it.
    â€œOh, well, she can’t be far off, that’s certain!” he cried in a tone of raillery as he turned to accompany them. “We must have a general search. She wouldn’t be likely to take offence at anything and go home in a hurry, I suppose?”
    Jenkins joined them now, lamp in hand.
    â€œI have been in some of the rooms as are not in general use, Sir Arthur,” he said apologetically, “thinking the young woman might have got in there by