Swing, Swing Together

CHAPTER 40

“Naked?” asked Jane and Molly together.

“Not completely,” Harriet conceded. “But my stays were gone and my blouse was unbuttoned to the waist. It was all on account of a catkin.”

“Harriet! Do you expect us to believe that?”

“I’m not sure. I really don’t mind what you believe. Roger-he’s my policeman-believed he was rescuing me from a fate worse than death. He was terribly sweet.”

“What happened to Mr. Fernandez?”

“He opened his eyes after Melanie had bathed his temples for a few minutes. She agreed to stay with him on the punt until he was well enough to take them back to Magdalen Bridge. Do you know, I think she rather likes him, in spite of everything? Isn’t that amazing?”

“But what happened to you?”

“Roger took me back in the other punt. My clothes were much more dry by the time we got there. He drove me to the hotel in a cab. This morning Sergeant Cribb called for me and brought me back by train. And here I am.”

“What did the Plum say? Is she going to rusticate you?” Harriet smiled. “Not this time. Sergeant Cribb told her I had been a credit to the college, and he gave her his copy of Three Men in a Boat as a present. She gave him the most sugary smile in return and suggested I went to my room and unpacked. She didn’t even warn me about breaking bounds again.”

“Would you do it again?”

“Break bounds?” said Harriet. “If the need arose.”

“You’ll never see your policeman again unless you do.”

“Not so, my dears. There’s going to be a trial, and I’m one of the witnesses. Roger is another, so we are sure to meet. Murder trials go on for days and days, he told me, especially as Matthew Fernandez is going on trial with the other two. Tomorrow afternoon I’m going to Medmenham Police Station to check the statement I first made. Roger will be there, because he has been copying it out.”

“So you’ll see him as soon as that,” said Molly wistfully.

“He’ll be on duty,” Jane pointed out. “It’s not the same as walking out with him.”

“You’re quite right, Jane,” Harriet admitted. “It’s not the same at all, in a stuffy old police station with the sergeant looking over his desk at you. That’s why I shall arrange that Roger walks back with me afterwards.”

“Harriet! How can you possibly arrange that?”

“I shall remind him that he left his bicycle here last week. It’s still propped against the gardener’s shed.”