Part 26 (2/2)
”And of course he is imagining all sorts of improper things,--chuckling about them, I dare say, in the way men do. He is being what I suppose he thinks tactful. He never glances in this direction at all. I'll give him a surprise in a minute or two!”
They finished their breakfast, and Marcia crossed towards David's table. As soon as he was conscious of her approach, he rose. He welcomed her, however, without a smile.
”From Trewly's at dinner to the Mandeleys Arms for breakfast,” she remarked, smiling. ”I feel quite flattered that you remembered me, Mr.
Thain.”
”Did I show any signs of remembering you?” he asked a little grimly.
”Of course you didn't,” she acknowledged. ”You ignored even my sweetest bow. That is why I felt sure that you recognised me perfectly.”
David remained silent, standing still with an air of complete but respectful patience.
”You have taken a house down here, the Marquis tells me,” she continued.
”I have taken Broomleys.”
”I hope that you will like the neighbourhood,” she said. ”I used to live here once myself.”
”So I understood.”
She was for a moment taken aback, conscious now of a certain definitely inimical att.i.tude in the man who stood looking coldly into her eyes.
”You know all about me, then? That is the worst of getting into 'Who's Who.'”
”I know more about you than I do about your companion, certainly,” he admitted.
She laughed mockingly. To a downright declaration of war she had no objection whatever.
”That is Mr. Borden, who publishes my stories,” she told him. ”I don't suppose you read them, do you?”
”I am not sure,” he replied. ”I read very little modern fiction, and I never look at the names of the authors.”
”Then we must take it for granted,” she sighed, ”that my fame is unknown to you. If you should see the Marquis before I do, please tell him that he was entirely wrong about the best route here. His advice has cost us nearly thirty miles and a punctured tire. You won't forget?”
”Certainly not,” he promised.
She turned away with a little nod of farewell, to which David's response was still entirely formal. Left alone in the room he resumed his breakfast, finished it with diminished appet.i.te, and within a few minutes was speeding through the country lanes in his great Rolls-Royce car. The chauffeur sat a little uneasily in his place. It was very seldom that his master showed such signs of haste. In a quarter of an hour they were in the avenue of Mandeleys. Instead of turning to the right, however, to Broomleys, he took the turning to the Abbey and pulled up short when within a hundred yards of the house.
”Wait here for me,” he directed. ”If you see another car coming up, blow your horn.”
He walked across the smooth, ancient turf, stepped over the wire fence and raised the latch of Richard Vont's cottage gate. His uncle, a little disturbed, came hastily down the garden path. His clothes were stained with clay, and the perspiration was on his forehead. David looked at him in surprise.
”Working so early?”
Vont nodded.
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