They crossed the Atlantic together on a luxury liner, with Louise’s car stowed in the hold. Elizabeth had persuaded Margaret Miller to join them for a midsummer excursion in the French countryside, brushing aside Margaret’s qualms about Louise’s driving. At least Margaret remembered telling Elizabeth she’d been afraid to ride with Louise at the wheel. Margaret’s fears were confirmed when Louise’s speeding car was forced off the road by a passing vehicle near the small town of Montargis. The car rolled; Elizabeth and Louise emerged unhurt, but Margaret’s right arm, which she’d been resting on an open window, was severed just below the elbow. A nearby field worker applied a tourniquet, saving Margaret’s life. The driver of the other car ferried Margaret and Louise into town; Elizabeth stayed at the roadside to answer questions from officials, alone with her fears for Margaret, reliving in her mind the “freakishly cruel” accident, the sight of the severed arm.
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