Time to leave. A chair in the Marcellus livery drew up nearby. Rufus was nowhere in sight.
'There were two things I needed to tell you,' Helena whispered fiercely. 'One I must deal with by myself! But I am asking you to go with me to the villa-'
'Why not your handsome friend?'
'Because I want you.'
'Why should I work for you?'
She looked me straight in the face: 'Because you are a professional and you can see I am afraid!'
I was a professional. She never forgot that. Sometimes I wished she would.
'All right. The usual rates,' I answered softly. 'The same rules as before: if I give you instructions don't argue, just follow them. And to do the job properly I need to know what frightened you-'
Helena said, 'Ghosts!'
Then she walked to her chair without a backward glance, knowing I would follow her.
It was a single chair. I had to stalk the two miles to the villa behind it, chewing over my anger about Rufus as I went. Helena had four bearers and two fat little boys with torches, all of whom started looking at me as if they knew exactly why her ladyship had brought me along. Going up the mountainside there were plenty of places where we could pause to admire the panorama, and I ground my teeth as I sensed the bearers' contempt when we continued without stopping and they realized their mistake.