“That’s not good,” Darcy said. We leaped up, grabbing our things and slithering up the now-muddy cliff to reach the motorcar. Then we couldn’t find a way to close the top, if it actually had one. We had to drive for several miles, with the rain stinging in our faces, before we found a small shack on the seashore and went inside for a hot cup of coffee. The rain showed no sign of abating so we were forced to drive back to Beverly Hills, feeling wet, miserable and disappointed.

“It’s lucky we weren’t planning to spend the night together in a wayside inn,” Darcy said, rain running down his face. “A fine couple we’d have looked, turning up like this.”

As we turned into the forecourt of the hotel the clouds parted and the rain miraculously stopped.

“Just our luck,” Darcy said. “We should have sat it out after all.”

“And been washed out to sea, I think. All that mud coming down the cliffs would have been horrible.”

He nodded agreement. We got looks of commiseration as we picked our way through the gardens, where hotel staff were now drying off lounge beds and sweeping up bits of foliage. As we opened the cottage door Mummy leaped to greet us.

“Thank God,” she said. “I was going frantic because I had no way of reaching you.”

“We were fine, Mummy,” I replied. “We just got a little wet. It wasn’t dangerous or anything.”

“Oh, I know that,” she said. “I wasn’t worried about you. But I’ve had an awful telegram from Reno. It seems that Homer Clegg has shown up in person. We have to leave immediately.”

Chapter 33

BEVERLY HILLS AND THEN RENO

TUESDAY, AUGUST 7, 1934

Darcy and I stood facing each other. “I’d better go,” he said. “I’ll see you when you’re back in England, then.”

“I don’t know where I’ll be,” I said. “I really don’t want to go back to Castle Rannoch and Mummy will be off back to Max.”

“You can always use my place, darling,” Belinda said. “Since I’m going to be here for a while.”

We hadn’t noticed her curled on the sofa.

She smiled. “That sweet boy Ronnie came by this morning. He said that Golden Pictures will take care of everything we need and he’s going to make sure I get an introduction to the costume department. This could be my big break, darlings.”

“I’m happy for you, Belinda,” I said. “And can I really use your mews cottage for a while?”

“Absolutely. Feel free.”

“Golly,” I said. “That’s so nice of you.”

“Well, I have made use of you from time to time,” she confessed.

“Now you know where to find me,” I said to Darcy.