“As you say, poor Ronny.” He ran his hand down my cheek. “You are freezing. We should get you home as quickly as possible.”

“Yes, we must get back to Rannoch immediately,” I said, remembering, “I know where my nephew is hidden. We have to save him.” I looked around us. Nothing but hills and moorland, lapping water and seagulls circling overhead. “Why on earth did you choose to land here? We’re miles from anywhere.”

“I have no idea where we are, but I wasn’t taking any chances with a plane I’d never flown before. I chose the first open area of water I saw, where I wasn’t likely to bump into a mountain.”

“Well, come on. Let’s not waste any more time. We have to get to shore and telephone the police.”

“Your wish is my command, my lady. Now I suppose you’d like me to swim to shore.”

“It’s shallow. You can wade,” I said. Then as he went to climb out of the aeroplane, I touched his hand. “Darcy. Thank you for coming to my rescue. You were very brave, and you landed it jolly well too, considering.”

He laughed and lowered himself into the water.

“It’s absolutely freezing,” he shouted up to me. “The things I have to do for you!”

Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Soon Darcy had found a telephone, rounded up a local policeman and borrowed a car. As we were driving back to Castle Rannoch, I sat beside him, snuggling up to him for warmth, for once in a glow of happiness. As we came over the pass to Castle Rannoch, we spotted Paolo and the American standing on the jetty, jumping up and down, waving their arms and pointing.

“What’s going on there?” Darcy asked. He had the driver stop the car and we both got out. “What’s happening?” Darcy shouted, running toward Paolo.

“She’s taken my boat, without my permission,” Paolo shouted back.

“Who?”

“Ronny, of course.”

“Ronny? But I thought she was dead. She jumped out of a plane,” I said.

“She must have had a parachute then,” Paolo said, “because suddenly I heard my boat engine start and she was in it.”

“Where is she now?” Darcy asked.

“Look, there, at the far end of the loch. You know what she’s going to do, don’t you? She’s going to make a run at the speed record, but the boat isn’t ready yet. Damned fool. She’ll ruin everything.”

“She hasn’t got Podge with her, has she?” I shouted. “We must stop her.”

Before I could get the words out, a blue shape came hurtling down the loch, motor screaming. Faster and faster it went until it shot past us as a blue blur. Then someone yelled, “Look out!”

And someone else screamed, “It’s the monster!”