The Last True Gentleman On The Planet Earth

Chapter Two

Mr. Rutherford reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a small black book held together with an elastic. Snapping the elastic off, he licked a finger and shuffled the pages. Stopping at one, he reached for the telephone when suddenly it began to ring.

“Good lord!” Mr. R exclaimed.

Sarah picked up the receiver, “Hello? Hello? Daddy!” she shouted, “Where are you? Are you safe? Where are you? Whatever are you doing there? But that’s miles away! Two days…no, no… we’ll be fine. Are you…? Hello?”

“What Sarah, what?” Alice pleaded.

“We lost the connection, oh dear,” replied Sarah.

Mr. R took the phone and rattled the cradle. “It was the demise of their line it seems, not yours.”

“The bridge is piled too high with snow for them to pass so they are staying at the Pemberton-Pemberton’s,” Sarah sighed. “We are left to our own devices as father said, or started saying.”

Mr. R gave the girls a sympathetic smile. “At least we know they are safe. They are safe?” he said, raising an eyebrow at Sarah who nodded. “I do thank you for your kindness, I was at my wits’ end. How do you country folk deal with all this nature?” He then looked down at his book and dialed a number. “Had you not let me in I would have simply froze… simply fro… Hello, hello, may I speak with Lady Euella Horsley? It is I. She is expecting me.” He turned to the girls. “Do you know Lady Horsley? Perfectly charming. She lives about a mile or so from here, as the crow flies. House on a cliff… Positively romantic if it weren’t as cold as… Darling, it is I, Alfred R. Well, I am here.” Placing a hand on the phone he whispered to the girls, “Where am I?”

“Houndsgate Hall,” said Elizabeth.

“Why Houndsgate Hall, of course. What’s that? No, just the girls. Well, they belong to the house… three of them… they let me in… perfect angels… charming. What’s that?” He turned again to the girls, “She is aware of you. She corroborates your charmingness.” Continuing the phone conversation, “Darling, look, I’ve run my automobile into a drift and I’ve no way out, can you send someone? An Eskimo… a dog sled… something? No, no, I’m not late. It’s tomorrow, tomorrow. Darling, there was nothing I could do — had you been more practical and had an estate in the city I would not be in this predicament with your beastly climate working against me. Darling, slack must be given. What’s that, dear? The girls? Why shouldn’t they… their parents? Beached at the Pemberton-Pemberton’s… Ah,” said Mr. R. He then turned and addressed the girls. “Lady H has asked if you three would like to accompany me to Horsley Manor? Would your parents object?”

The girls were quite stunned by the request, so unexpected as it was. They had already broken the first rule their parents had laid down about letting strangers into the house and now this. They huddled together to talk.

Alice whispered, “I want to go.”

Elizabeth flapped her arms slightly. “I do too but Mother and Father will be cross.”

Sarah looked at them both and bit her lip, “If we left a note, would that be enough?”

“It probably wouldn’t but it is Lady Horsley’s.”

“Doesn’t mother hate Lady Horsley?” Alice whispered.

“Does she?” said Sarah.

“I’ve never heard her mentioned before,” said Elizabeth.

“I remember something,” said Alice, “but I still want to go.”

The girls turned to Mr. Rutherford and nodded a yes.