Brace Bridge 4

Chapter Twenty-EightChapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-OneChapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-ThreeChapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Eight“Jealousy”

''Then Billy changed. He became so jealous, so possessive. He never left me alone. He began calling me at all night. If I was out, he would become hysterical.” “One night I came home late from the library. He was there, waiting for me. He had been drinking. He was furious. He wouldn't let me explain. He said he was sure I had been with someone. I told him I couldn't stand his jealousy any more.““He told me he was sorry. He said it was because he loved me so much. He said there was only one solution. We had to live together. That was the only way he could be happy.”“I refused. I told him I had to talk to you first. I had to tell you. I went to see your mother. I told her about Billy and me. She told me not to tell you. She told me to wait, and she said she wanted to meet Billy.” “At first Billy refused to see her. But I told him that if he didn't come with me to meet your mother, I would never see him again.““So he agreed. We arranged a day. I was very nervous. I was ready to go hours before time. I didn't know what to do with myself. Billy was supposed to pick me up at four o'clock, but he didn't arrive until half past five..."

Chapter 28 continued

"Are you ready to meet your future mother-in-law?" Billy said."You've been drinking," Fancy told him."Why not?""Billy. This is important to me.""Why is one old woman so important?""I love her.“ "You love too many people." "Come on. Billy. I don't want to be late." "Yes, Madame. Right this way, Madame. Your car is waiting." They went out to the street. An old Rolls Royce was parked at the curb. "Where's your car, Billy?" Fancy asked. "I wrecked it last night."

"What?"

"I was drunk. I ran into a tree."

"Thank God you weren't hurt."

"How sympathetic you are! I suppose you love me, too." "You know I do."

They got in the car. Billy pulled a bottle of gin from under the seat and took a long drink. "Want some?"

"No, Billy."

"What a proper young lady you are today!" he said. He started the engine and raced out into the street. - "Billy!" Fancy screamed. - He drove wildly through the streets of Bristol, out into the country.Fancy tried to control herself. She wanted to scream in terror, but she knew that would only make him more reckless. Luckily they didn't hit anything. Luckily there were no police cars around. And finally — it seemed like a lifetime to Fancy— they reached the Bracebridge house.

Mrs. Bracebridge was waiting for them. She led them into the living room.


"I need a drink," Billy said."What would you like?" Mrs. Bracebridge asked."Gin... straight... from the bottle." Billy laughed."I don't think your friend feels very well. Fancy," Mrs. Bracebridge said. "Maybe we should let him rest and go and talk together, just you and I."


"You think you're awfully clever, don’t you?" Billy said to her.

"No, young man. It is you who thinks he's clever. I don't understand you. You told Fancy you loved her. Now she says she loves you. You've got what you wanted, and yet you're not satisfied. You want to throw it away."

"Fancy understands me," Billy said defiantly.

"I thought I did," Fancy said quietly. "But I don't now, when you act like this."

"Billy is jealous, my dear," Mrs. Bracebridge said. "Not only of Wilfred, but of me. I imagine he is jealous of everyone. He wants you all to himself. But I don't quite see what he plans to do when he has got you. Make you his drinking partner?"

Billy stood up. His face was red with anger.

"Billy!" Fancy shouted. "Sit down.""Sit down. Billy," Mrs. Bracebridge said. "It would be stupid to hit an old woman.""Let's get out of here," Billy said to Fancy.He started to leave the room. Fancy hesitated. She looked at Mrs. Bracebridge.“Go, my dear,” Mrs. Bracebridge said to her. “He shouldn't be left alone in that state of mind.” Back to index

Chapter Twenty-Nine“The New Billy Montdore”

"We left your house. It was getting dark. I told Billy I would drive home. He laughed at me. He asked me if I was afraid to let him drive. I didn't answer him. I was too angry. I was fed up with him. We got into the car. He started drinking again. But at first he was very quiet. He just sat there beside me. I refused to look at him. I knew he wanted me to. But I just stared out at the road ahead. Then he said he was sorry. He promised he would change. He swore he would never be jealous again. He asked me to stop the car. He wanted to talk. I told him there was nothing to talk about. He started yelling at me. I ignored him. He screamed at me to stop the car. I kept driving. He tried to force me to stop. I drove faster and faster. I wanted to get home. I wanted to get away from him. I couldn't stand being with him... That’s when... Oh, Wilfred.” Fancy stops speaking. Tears are streaming down her cheeks."That was when you hit that man on the road, wasn't it?" Wilfred asks."Yes, Wilfred. I was driving, not Billy. But it wasn’t my fault. He kept trying to take the steering wheel away from me. And when we... when we hit that poor man..., I stopped.


I got out of the car. I wanted to help him. But Billy wouldn’t let me. He pushed me into the back of the car and drove away.When the police arrested Billy, I waited for them to come for me. I expected Billy to tell them. I couldn't understand why he didn’t. I went to the trial. He was so strange. He sat there staring at me. He didn't defend himself. When they asked him if he had been alone in the car at the time of the accident, he smiled at me and told them, yes, he had been alone. All that year that he was in prison, I expected him to tell them the truth. Every time I heard a police siren passing the house, I thought they were coming for me.Billy wrote to me, almost every day, but he never mentioned the accident. He only said how much he loved me and wanted to see me again. I never answered his letters.

Then, after about three months, he stopped writing.

I thought he had forgotten me. I was so relieved. Then one night, a month ago, I went to a discotheque with my friend Yvette. I didn't want to go. It's odd, but I had a feeling that I shouldn’t go. An ominous feeling as if I knew something bad would happen.


But Yvette was visiting me from France, and she wanted to see a discotheque. So I took her. We were sitting at a table when a young man came up to us. I didn't recognize him at first, but it was Billy. He was completely changed. He didn’t have a beard. His hair was short and dyed red. I asked him why he had changed his appearance. He smiled and told me to come with him. He wanted to speak to me alone. We left Yvette and went outside. He told me he had got out of prison three weeks before and had stolen a car. The police were looking for him.

He said he wanted to get out of the country, but he needed money.

I told him I didn't have any. But then he said he knew where he could get a lot of money. He knew I was getting married. He had read about it in the society page of a London newspaper. And he knew that your mother had taken the diamond out of the bank."

Back to index

Chapter Thirty“The Robbery”

Fancy and Billy were standing in the street outside the discotheque. It was a cold black night without a star in the sky.

“What are you saying, Billy?” Fancy gasped."You know what I’m saying. I want you to help me steal the Bracebridge Diamond.''"You must be crazy.'' - "Not as crazy as you think. What if I told the police about an accident that happened a year ago?"

Fancy didn't speak. She looked away from Billy into the dark street.

"You will help me, won't you?"Fancy didn't answer.“I’ll contact you again,” Billy said and left her standing there.

She was crying hard, but silently, so silently... without making a sound.The days crawled by. Fancy couldn't sleep. She would wake up in the middle of the night trembling. But sometimes she would think it was all a terrible nightmare. Or, if not, maybe Billy had been caught by the police.She went to the Bracebridge house. Wilfred came home from London. There was so much happiness and love around her that she began to feel better.

Chapter 30 continuedThen Billy called.“Fancy, can you get the diamond? Do you know where it is?”Fancy said she did. Mrs. Bracebridge had shown her the secret compartment in her bedroom where she kept it. She had stopped wearing it in the last few days.“Good,” Billy said. "Tomorrow night I'll be outside waiting. You go into her bedroom, get the diamond, open the window and throw it to me."That night Fancy didn't sleep. The next day she couldn't sit still. She was afraid to look at anybody, afraid to speak.In the evening she left the others downstairs in the living room. She went upstairs to Mrs. Bracebridge's bedroom. She looked up and down the hall. No one was there. She went in and shut the door behind her.For a moment she thought she was going to faint. She couldn't breathe. She had to make an effort to control herself. Her heart was beating so wildly, it was like a drum pounding in her ears.

Chapter 30 ontinued

She went to the secret compartment, but she couldn't open it in the dark. She went back to the door and turned on the light. She was shaking violently.She ran to the secret compartment. She opened it. She took out the diamond. She closed the compartment and went to the window. Billy was standing below.

"Turn off the light," he whispered. "Billy," she said. "I can't do it. I can't." "You know the alternative."She closed her eyes for a moment as if she were saying a

prayer. Then she looked down again at Billy and threw him the diamond."Hey," Billy whispered. "I still love you, you know. It doesn't look like it, does it? The way I've used you. You could come with me. Why not? You can't marry Wilfred now, can you? Not with this on your conscience.""Please, Billy," Fancy whispered to him. "Go away before someone’s coming."

"I'll call you," he said, and ran off into the darkness.Fancy turned from the window. John Dewey was standing in the doorway.

"Oh," he said. "I'm sorry. I heard a noise. I thought...""John, promise me something.""What's the matter?"


"Promise you won't tell anybody you saw me here. I have to do something. I need time. Please, John."“I promise,” John said, and left the room.

The butler was just coming up the stairs. He watched John close Mrs. Bracebridge’s bedroom door behind him and go down the hall to his room.

When Fancy came out, the butler had gone. She went quickly to her bedroom.

"I don't care what happens to me," she said softly to herself. "But I will get the diamond back."

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Chapter Thirty-One"Billy's Friends"

"Billy called and gave me his address. He said we could go to South America together. I asked him if he had sold the diamond yet. He said he hadn't, but he thought he wouldn't have any problem getting rid of it.

He said he would wait for me for two weeks. Then he would leave. I left your house and went to his address. There were two young men there, but Billy wasn’t there.

They told me he was in London trying to sell the diamond. I asked for Billy’s address in London, but they wouldn't give it to me. I said it was urgent. I said I had to see Billy immediately.

The older man said he didn't trust me. He said Billy had told him about me. He said he thought I was going to go to the police. He was right.''

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Chapter Thirty-Two“A Prisoner”

"Billy will be angry if you don't give me his address. He wants to see me. I have to tell him something," Fancy said. "It's important. It's about the diamond."

"Tell me," said the older of the two men. "I'll give Billy your message."

"No...I couldn't do that.""What's the matter? Don't you trust me?"

"It's not that. I...I have to speak to Billy alone. It's private... It's personal."

"Is it personal or is it about the diamond? Make up your mind."

"I don't need your help. I'll find Billy myself."Fancy started to leave, but the man stopped her.

"Let go of me. What are you doing?""I think you'd better stay here.""What do you mean? You can't stop me."

"Now just relax. Billy will be back here when he sells the diamond. Anything you have to say to him can wait till then."

"I have to go.""You don't have to go anywhere."


Fancy pushed the man away and ran to the door. He was behind her. He grabbed her. She screamed. He put his hand over her mouth. She bit him. He let go. She screamed again. The other man was holding her now. They shoved a cloth into her mouth. She struggled, but they held her firmly.

'Get me some tranquilizers," the older man said. "Fill the syringe. We're going to put this young lady to sleep.""They put me in a room with no window, no light. It was horrible. They didn't give me anything to eat. They kept giving me drugs to keep me quiet. I don't know how long I was there. I lost all sense of time.""Who are they?" Wilfred asks. He looks furious. "If I find them..."

"No, Wilfred, forget about them.“- "Forget!“

“How can I forget? When we get back to England, I’ll find them."

"They're in jail now, Wilfred." Back to index

Chapter Thirty-Three“The Escape”

“Then one day the older man went out. The younger man liked me. He felt sorry for me. He took me out of the room and gave me a cup of coffee. He asked me if I really loved Billy. I said I did. So he gave me Billy’s address, but he said I couldn’t leave yet. He said I had to wait till Billy telephoned and told them the diamond was sold.“Oh,” Fancy said and smiled faintly. "I'm beginning to feel a little better. Thank you for the coffee.''“Do you want something to eat?” - "No, I’m not hungry. Can I walk around a little bit? I won't try to get away.”"Sure. Go ahead." Fancy got up. She was very weak. - "Do you need help?" - "No, no. I’m fine. I just need to go slowly, at first.""Well, if you want anything, just take it. There's food in the refrigerator."

The man left the table and went across the room. There were boxes on the floor against the wall.


"What have you got there?" Fancy asked him."Drugs. We’re in the business. Listen," he said, "you’d better eat something. My friend will be back soon. He’ll put you in the room again.""What kind of drugs are they?" Fancy asked. She had come over to the man and was looking over his shoulder into the boxes."These are tranquilizers. Those are barbiturates." - “Could you make me another cup of coffee?” Fancy asked him."Sure," he said. He left her and went to the stove. She looked at him. His back was to her. She bent down quickly and took a handful of barbiturates. She hid them in her pocket and went to the table. The man poured her a cup of coffee and went back to the boxes.Fancy put the barbiturates into the man's cup and poured coffee into it. Then she put in three spoonfuls of sugar to disguise the taste. When the pills had dissolved, she took the cup to the man.

"Here. I poured you some, too," she said, handing him the cup.He took it and put it on the floor beside him. -“You'd better drink it before it gets cold.” - He picked up the cup and took a sip."How much sugar did you put in this?" - "Oh, I'm sorry. Is it too much?" - "It doesn't matter," he said, and put the cup down.

"Shall I put more coffee in it...or maybe some milk? Is there any milk?" - "No. It's o.k."


He picked up the coffee and drank it down. Fancy stood behind him waiting. After a while, the man got up and stretched.

"Hmm, I'm tired," he said. "I'd better put you back in your room.""Can't I stay out a little longer? It's so dark in there. Let me listen to a record first, then I'll go back. I won't make any trouble.""O.K. One record." The man put on a record and lay on a mattress on the floor smoking a cigarette. Gradually his eyes began to close. Fancy started toward the door."Ouch!" the man shouted and sat up. "Ouch, I burnt my hand. Hey, I feel strange. What's wrong with me?"

He looked suspiciously at Fancy. "The coffee. You put something in the coffee."

He got up. Fancy backed away from him. - "You drugged me." - He came closer. - "You'll be sorry you did that."

Closer and closer he came. Fancy was standing with her back to the wall. She couldn't run. She had no energy to fight him.

He had almost reached her when he fell to the floor unconscious. Fancy stood there for a moment looking down at him, almost as if she were hypnotized.Then she took a deep breath, crossed the room and opened the door. She was very weak. She could hardly climb down the stairs to the street. When she got to a telephone booth, she called the police and told them about the drugs. Then she took the train to London.


Back to index

Chapter Thirty-Four“The story ends”

When she reached London, Fancy went immediately to Billy's address. It was a boarding house in Chelsea. A short fat lady answered the bell. She had white hair in tiny curls around her face."Come in, dear," she said to Fancy. "I suppose you want a room." - "No," Fancy said to her. "Actually I'm here to see a friend of mine. His name is William Montdore."

"I'm terribly sorry, my dear, but there's no William Montdore staying here." - "You mean he's left?" Fancy asked. "No, dear, I mean he has never been here."Fancy felt like she was going to be hysterical, but she controlled herself. She had to think. She looked at the piece of paper with the address written on it. Was it possible that the man had given her the wrong address? No. Why would he do that? Then she had an idea."My friend is a private detective," she told the landlady. "Sometimes he uses other names.""Oh, my!" said the landlady smiling broadly. "Isn't this exciting? Just like the television. What does your friend look like, dear? Maybe he's here."

Fancy described Billy to the landlady."Well, as a matter of fact, my dear, I do have a young man of that description here. But..." She paused and looked at Fancy. There was a twinkle in her eye. "How do I know you're not a spy? I know what we can do. I'll tell you this young man's initials and if you can guess the name he is using, I'll know that you're his friend. Is that fair?""Yes, all right," Fancy said to her. "Go on." - “His initials are J.D. I’ll give you ten minutes to guess. And you know, my dear..." She stopped speaking for a moment. “If you can’t guess, I think I will call the police. This all seems a little suspicious to me."


Fancy felt herself getting more and more nervous. She didn't want the police coming yet. She wanted to be sure Billy still had the diamond. She tried to calm herself down. She thought and thought. Billy could have given the woman any name. J.D. What could that stand for? Then she had an idea. Of course. That would be like Billy."Is his name John Dewey?" she asked the landlady. - "Why yes, dear. That's exactly right.""Can I see him?" - "Oh, I’m so sorry. But he’s not in now." - “When are you expecting him back?"


''Well, I don’t really know. You see, Mr. Dewey —or Mr. Montdore— don’t worry dear, I won't tell a soul. Well, your friend Mr. M. comes and goes at all hours. Actually I was beginning to wonder about him, but now that I know he's a detective, I understand. To tell you the truth, dear, he might be gone for days. Of course, you must know what detective work is like. Would you like to wait for him?”"Yes, please." - ''Well, I’d better give you a room of your own, then, because there's no telling how long he'l1 be."She led Fancy to a big high-ceilinged room that looked out on the street. There was a double bed with a beautiful old quilt over it. When the landlady had gone Fancy went to the window. She wanted to lie down. The bed looked so comfortable, but she knew she couldn’t. She might miss Billy. So she sat at the window and went back over everything that had happened in order to stop herself from falling asleep.

Chapter 34 continued"That night I wrote to the police telling them that John was innocent. I realized I couldn't stay awake any longer, so I told the landlady to wake me up the minute Billy came back, and I lay down and I slept. It was the most comfortable bed I had ever slept in and the most restful sleep I had ever had. All the next morning, I sat by the window, waiting, watching. The landlady kept coming in with cups of tea and sandwiches. She was so kind to me. And the room was so friendly and secure, I didn't mind waiting there. Outside it was raining hard. A cold wind rattled the glass in the window frames. The landlady turned on the heater in the room and brought me a blanket to put over my legs. Finally, at about one o'clock in the afternoon, I saw him coming. I was afraid. I didn't know how he would react finding me there. But I pulled myself together and went out to meet him. I prayed that he hadn't sold the diamond yet."

"Well," Billy said. "Look who's here.""So," the landlady said coming down the front hall to them. "We were beginning to worry about you, Mr… Dewey." She winked at Fancy. "Your secret is safe with me," she told Billy and winking at Fancy again she went away. Fancy and Billy went into his room.


"What did you tell the old goat?" Billy asked. Fancy told him. He laughed. - "You know, you're pretty clever. You and I are going to make a great team."

"Have you got the money, Billy?" Fancy asked. "I'd like to get out of England as soon as possible.""Don't worry. We've got plenty of time. The police don't know we've got the diamond. I'm pretty clever, too. I guess you found out..., about the name. When I heard they had picked up John Dewey, I figured I'd give the police some help. So I've been trying to sell the diamond under his name. I don't know what's wrong with everybody here," he said. He looked worried. "I can't understand it. I've got this fabulous diamond, and nobody wants to buy it. But don't worry. We'll find a buyer. Now that I've got you here to bring me luck, everything's going to be all right.""Billy," Fancy said to him. "Let me see it...the diamond. Let me see it again. I've been thinking about it a lot lately."

"Now, now. Don't start getting too fond of it. We're not going to have it for long. Here."

Chapter 34 continuedHe took a small bag out of his coat pocket. "Hold out your hand," he said to Fancy and shook the diamond out of the bag onto her outstretched hand. Fancy fought down a desire to close her fingers over the jewel and run away. After looking at it for a while, she gave it back to Billy."Listen," he said to her. "I’m exhausted. I've been all over London. I haven't slept for two days."

"Go ahead and sleep. Billy," Fancy told him. “The landlady gave me another room. I’ll leave you alone.” She smiled at him. "When you're rested, we can go and have something to eat."

Billy lay on the bed and Fancy left the room, but she didn't go to her room. She went down the hall to the public telephone and called the police.

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Chapter Thirty-Five“Home Again”

Fancy is very ill. Her forehead is covered with beads of perspiration. Wilfred is holding her hand. He looks into her eyes.

“Fancy,” he says softly, “don’t worry about the car accident. Billy can’t prove you were driving."

"But I’m guilty, Wilfred," she says. "I should be punished."

"You have been punished enough, my darling. Now you need to rest. I will never leave you alone again. Fancy. I love you so much."When Fancy is asleep, Wilfred calls his mother. He wants her to come and help him take care of Fancy. Mrs. Bracebridge flies to Paris the same day.

Fancy stays in bed for a week. Slowly she recovers until she is strong and well again. Then they are ready to go home. Wilfred has talked to the police. Fancy will not be arrested. She will be on probation for a year in Wilfred’s custody.

Chapter 35 continuedJohn and Caroline come to Paris, and the four of them decide to get married there. They have a double wedding in a small Protestant church. Then John and Caroline go south to the Riviera for their honeymoon. They want Wilfred and Fancy to come too, but Fancy has to return to England to start her year of probation.So Wilfred, Fancy and Mrs. Bracebridge say goodbye to Caroline and John and start for home.They get on the boat at Calais. This is their last journey. Fancy goes to their stateroom to rest. She is still a little weak from her adventures. Wilfred and his mother stand on the deck of the ship talking quietly together. After an hour, Mrs. Bracebridge touches Wilfred's shoulder and points out ahead of them."Look, Wilfred," she says. "The white cliffs of Dover."

"Yes, Mother," Wilfred says. "England. We're going home."Back to index

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Brace Bridge 4