Ambledever is a bustling town that becomes a temporary base for Bobby Jones during his search for Moira Nicholson. Its hotel and station provide practical landmarks in the pursuit, while its distance from The Grange lets Bobby operate away from the house where he believes Moira may still be held.

Setting and Role

Bobby describes Ambledever as ten miles away and chooses it for his headquarters after deciding that Moira may still be at The Grange. The town is close enough to support his search but separate from the immediate danger around the estate, giving him a place to arrange his next move.

Bobby's Disguised Arrival

To avoid being recognized, Bobby travels to Ambledever in disguise as a young man with a moustache, wearing a cheap dark-blue suit. He registers at a hotel near the station under the name George Parker, leaves his suitcase there, and goes out to negotiate for the hire of a motorcycle. From the town he rides toward Staverley and stops on a deserted stretch of road near The Grange, continuing his approach on foot.

Frankie Comes Looking

On Friday morning, Frankie Derwent arrives at the Station Hotel in the green Bentley. She has sent Bobby a wire under their agreed name, George Parker, explaining that she is expected to give evidence at the inquest into Henry Bassington-ffrench's death and will call at Ambledever on her way down from London. Expecting a reply that would name a meeting place, she receives none and goes to the hotel herself. Ambledever thus becomes the point where Bobby's covert operation and Frankie's search for him intersect.