Rule Britannia by Daphne du Maurier Read Free Book Online Page A

own and Emma’s name. She plunged at once into the business at hand.
    “Have you come to apologize about the dog?” she asked.
    Colonel Cheeseman stared. “Dog, ma’am?” he repeated. “What dog?”
    “A posse of your men,” said Mad (and surely, thought Emma, posse was a term only used in Westerns), “a posse of your men crossed the plowed field early this morning, and one of them deliberately shot and killed the extremely valuable collie-dog from the neighboring farm, which, frightened by the appalling noise of the helicopters, was running for its life. The scene was witnessed by a household of young children under my care. They were deeply shocked.”
    The officer looked taken aback. “Make a note of that occurrence, lieutenant,” he said. “I’m extremely sorry, ma’am, to hear of your distress. There will be an enquiry into the incident, of which I had not been informed. I have come about quite a different matter.”
    “Yes?” enquired Mad.
    “You heard the announcement over the radio?”
    “No, on my television. I know Admiral Jollif very well. He has lunched here several times.”
    “Ah well, ma’am, that makes my request much easier. You have a stable block right adjacent to your property here, it appears.”
    “I have.”
    “We should like to make use of it, ma’am, with your cooperation, for twenty-four hours, possibly longer, depending upon the situation becoming stabilized, which it will undoubtedly do very shortly.”
    Colonel Cheeseman’s tone was courteous, even deferring, yet firm.
    “What you mean is,” said Mad, “you want to requisition it. As the owner, I have no choice in the matter, I take it?”
    Colonel Cheeseman cleared his throat. “That’s putting it rather baldly, ma’am,” he replied. “There would be no inconvenience to yourself or to your household. It is a matter of communications. My intention is to set up a temporary post in the building, with Lieutenant Sherman here in charge.”
    “I see.”
    The colonel was clearly getting little encouragement. The younger officer glanced apologetically at Emma, who smiled nervously.
    “There’s no telephone in the stables, and only one electric light bulb,” said Mad, “and my car is kept in the garage alongside. If your men intend to sleep in the stables they must watch out for the garden manure which is stored there. It wouldn’t make very comfortable bedding.”
    Emma had a sudden vision of scores of American soldiers coming to the side door with requests for a bath, or even asking Dottie to wash their clothes.
    “No problem, thank you, ma’am,” said Colonel Cheeseman. “We have our own equipment.”
    “I see,” repeated Mad.
    “I am sure,” continued Colonel Cheeseman, risking, for the first time, a brave attempt at a smile, though it was more in the nature of a grimace, “that I am extremely obliged to you, and that your good friend Admiral Jollif will feel as I do when he hears of your cooperation.”
    “I presume,” said Mad, “that Admiral Jollif, like me, has to do what he’s told.”
    The colonel stiffened. And now, of course, Emma thought, she’s doing her fatal thing of going too far, of putting his back up, and instead of everybody being friendly and polite it will get awkward, the man will start requisitioning the house and we shall be put in the stables.
    “Ours is a joint enterprise, ma’am,” replied Colonel Cheeseman. “Our forces are in this together, as you will have heard on your television. The state of emergency will not last one moment longer than is considered necessary for your safety, and for the safety of your fellow-countrymen. Meanwhile, I will not detain you. Good day to you.”
    He saluted, and so did his companion, but as they turned to go Mad did a dreadful thing—she was always doing it, in front of shopkeepers, or people who asked for autographs, or anyone who suddenly bored her, and that was to say something derogatory about them before they were safely out of