"We'll go into town right away. Dan Robinson lives with Maisie in south London. Greenbourne will be at his country house, but I can telephone him from the bank." Hugh stood up. "Let me tell Nora." He extricated his feet from Sol's wood-block castle and went out.
Nora was in the bedroom, putting on an elaborate hat with fur trimmings. "I have to go into town," Hugh said as he put on a collar and tie.
"Who's going to look after the boys, then?" she said.
"You, I hope."
"No!" she screeched. "I'm going shopping!"
"I'm sorry, Nora, but this is very important."
"I'm important too!"
"Of course you are, but you can't have your way about this. I have to speak to Ben Greenbourne urgently."
"I'm sick of this," she said disgustedly. "Sick of the house, sick of this boring village, sick of the children and sick of you. My father lives better than we do!" Nora's father had opened a pub, with a loan from Pilasters Bank, and was doing extremely well. "I ought to go and live with him, and work as a barmaid," she said. "I'd have more fun and I'd be paid for doing drudgery!"
Hugh stared at her. Suddenly he knew he would never share her bed again. There was nothing left of his marriage. Nora hated him, and he despised her. "Take your hat off, Nora," he said. "You're not going shopping today." He put on his suit jacket and went out.
Tonio was waiting impatiently in the hall. Hugh kissed the boys, picked up his hat and coat, and opened the door. "There's a train in a few minutes," he said as they went out.
He put on his hat and shrugged into his coat as they hurried down the short garden path and out through the gate. It was snowing harder and there was a layer an inch thick on the grass. Hugh's home was one of twenty or thirty identical houses built in a row on what had been a turnip field. They walked along a gravel road toward the village. "We'll call on Robinson first," Hugh said, planning their schedule. "Then I can tell Greenbourne that the Opposition is already on our side.... Listen!"
"What?"
"That's our train. We'd better hurry."
They quickened their pace. Fortunately the station was on the near side of the village. The train came into sight as they crossed a bridge over the line.
A man was leaning on the parapet, watching the approaching train. As they passed him he turned, and Hugh recognized him: it was Micky Miranda.
And he had a revolver in his hand.
After that everything happened very quickly.
