CHAPTER 22
IN THE MORNINGAfter Alice had placed the can of hot water on the washstand and carefully covered it with a towel, she crossed the room, pulled up the blind and paused at the end of Marcus Featherstone’s bed. Having allowed him sufficient time to awaken and recall his unhappy thoughts, she made her announcement.
‘Mr Campion isn’t in his room, sir. His bed hasn’t been slept in. I thought perhaps I’d better tell you instead of Mr William. And old Mr Christmas, the mistress’s coachman, came into the kitchen just before I came upstairs, to say that his son must have got up and dressed in the night, for there’s no sign of him.’
Marcus sat up in bed in Uncle William’s voluminous and exotic pyjamas and reviewed the situation.
‘Campion gone?’ he said. ‘Half a minute and I’ll put on a
