A Lesson in Secrets_ A Maisie Dobbs Novel - Jacqueline Winspear [116]
“Might have a nice little present in it, eh? That aside, she wants to know when you can go over and pick it up.”
“Does she, now?” Maisie stood up. “I’m just going along the corridor to splash some cold water on my face—would you mind giving her a telephone call, Billy? Tell her I will be over before half past six, if that’s all right.”
“She did sound a bit anxious, as if it were burning a hole in the desk.”
Maisie laughed. “It might well be doing just that!”
She returned to the office ten minutes later to be informed by Billy that she was expected at the Compton Corporation, where Miss Robinson was awaiting her arrival. She looked at the clock. “I’d better be off, then. I don’t want to be late for the very efficient Miss Robinson, do I?”
Despite her recent doubts, Maisie realized that she had been missing James more than ever over the past few days. When he was at home with her, there was no echoing silence in the flat, and their excursions at the week’s end—to Chelstone, or to Pricilla’s country house—seemed to be filled with a heady blend of deep conversation and laughter. Yes, she looked forward to his homecoming.
Miss Robinson, I’m sorry to keep you waiting,” said Maisie as she entered the secretary’s fiefdom, a spacious anteroom to James’ office. Since taking over the running of the Compton Corporation, James had embarked upon a program of modernization at the offices, and had started with his own. The walls had recently been painted in a creamy white, and the mahogany furniture was of a modern design, with smooth corners and chrome fittings. The decor reminded Maisie of a ship; she thought it might have seemed impersonal had it not been for the bouquet of flowers in a vase on the secretary’s desk, and a large tapestry of geometric shapes mounted on the wall behind.
“I had trouble parking, what with one thing and another,” added Maisie. “You must be dying to get home at this time on a Friday.”
The woman smiled, but there was something in her expression that caused Maisie to wonder if all was well.
“Is everything all right? I mean, I am terribly sorry if you were meant to be somewhere. After all—I could have waited, and—”
Miss Robinson picked up the telephone as if to place a call that could not wait. She held out her hand towards the door that led to James’ office.
“If you’d like to go in, Miss Dobbs, your letter is on the table.”
“Are you sure?” asked Maisie. “I mean, I don’t want to just charge into the office.”
“No, it’s perfectly all right. On you go.” She waved in a way that made Maisie feel as if she were a schoolgirl who had just been dismissed by the headmistress.
Maisie placed her hand on the large chrome door handle, and as she pressed her weight against the door, she looked back at Miss Robinson, who was watching her, smiling. She waved her hand again. Maisie nodded and walked in.
Her shock at seeing James Compton coming towards her with his arms open almost caused her to faint. The table before her was covered with packages.
“James! James Compton, you rogue!” She was soon in his embrace. “You have been here all the time!”
James kissed her, but soon she pushed back from him to speak. “You sent that letter from here!” She laughed, knowing that once upon a time she would have been devastated by such a trick. “Why didn’t you tell me you were home? What are you up to? Apart from committing a crime in the eyes of the post office, that is.”
“A crime?” James laughed as he spoke. “What crime?”
“You forged a postmark—that’s a prison sentence. How did you pull that one off?”
“Oh, that was easy—I just had Miss Robinson talk nicely to a man at the post office, asking him to smudge a stamp to disguise the franking, and had the letter delivered by hand.”
“But why? Couldn