Part 30 (2/2)
”It's sad about the Lorrimers,” continued Nan, stamping her foot and growing red with anger; ”we love the Lorrimers; they are our dearest, our very, very dearest friends, and we hate their leaving the Towers.
Perhaps Nora doesn't want to see you, Susy.”
”Come along,” said Susy in a firm voice; ”I want to see her. What sentimental folly you talk, Nan. Squire Lorrimer was very glad indeed to find such a purchaser as my father for his tumbledown old place.”
”The Towers tumbledown!” exclaimed Nan, ”the beautiful, lovely, darling Towers! Susy, I hate you--I hate and detest you; I won't show you the way to Nora's room, so there!”
Nan pulled her frock out of Susy's detaining hand and rushed away.
Miss Drummond stood quite still for a moment where she had been left.
Then she put up her hand to smooth her brow.
”This sort of thing would be ruffling to most people,” she murmured, ”but I really don't mind. Now, shall I have my forty winks before tea, or shall I poke round by myself until I find this blessed aggrieved Nora? That horrid little piece of impertinence has quite woke me up, so it's scarcely worth while to get soothed down again; I think I'll find Nora and ask for some information which I am anxious to write to father about, then after tea I can have a snooze until it is time to dress for dinner. Dear, dear, they might have the politeness to have tea ready on one's arrival. I expect my stay here will be precious slow, with their old-fas.h.i.+oned, prim ideas; if it weren't for Tony I'd die, but she'd really make a cat laugh; it will be better than a play to watch her at dinner to-night with Sir John. Now, then, for a search for the tearful Nora.”
Susy, accordingly, in her usual ponderous, somewhat heavy mode of progress, wandered from one room to another until at last the sound of voices guided her to the pretty little boudoir, where Annie Forest and Nora had taken shelter, and where Nan was now standing, pouring out her tale of woe. A slight creak which the door made caused the girls to turn their heads, and there stood Susy, shedding articles of her wardrobe, as usual, as she walked. Her flaxen hair was partly unpinned and lay in a rough coil on her fat neck. She came with elephantine weight into the room, and ignoring Annie Forest altogether, held out a hand to Nora.
”Here I am,” she said. ”I'm Susy Drummond. 'Miss Susan Drummond, the Towers,' will soon be on my visiting cards. Isn't the place very ramshackle? Doesn't it want to be put into repair a good bit? I'm just dying to hear all about it. Oh, and here's an American swinging-chair--I just adore them. You don't mind if I see-saw gently while you talk to me. Nan, I bear no malice; fetch me a footstool, love, and let me know when tea is brought into the drawing-room. Annie, how do? I hope the female dragon is very well.” Annie flushed crimson. Only a startled look on Nora's pretty face enabled her to control herself. She walked to the window and looked out.
Susy blinked her sleepy eyes after her.
”Never mind,” she said, winking at Nora, ”it's an old feud which I buried--I'm the most forgiving creature in Christendom--but if she chooses to dig up the hatchet, I can't help her. I always called that detestable Mrs. Willis the she-dragon. You don't know her, I suppose?
You're in luck, I can tell you. Thank you, Nan, for the footstool. Now, this is most comfortable. You'll begin to tell me all you can about the Towers, won't you?” she continued, bending slightly forward and laying her fat hand on Nora's slim white arm; ”and so you really are a Lorrimer? How profoundly interesting.”
Nora fidgeted restlessly on her sofa.
”I'm a Lorrimer,” she said at last in a steady voice. ”I--I don't think I can tell you about the Towers; you'll probably go and see the place for yourself, either to-morrow or Monday.”
”I shall certainly go to-morrow, and at an early hour, too; my father is most anxious to get my opinion on it.”
”Well, then, you'll see it for yourself.”
”So I shall--quite true, little Miss Rosebud; but, nevertheless, there is such a thing as curiosity, which, doubtless, you can gratify. Now, let's begin. I'm nothing if I'm not practical. How many bedrooms are there?”
”I don't know.”
”You don't know? Are you simple? Have not you lived there all your life?”
”I have, but I don't really know. Perhaps if I count I can tell you.
First, in the Tower, there's Jane Macalister's room, and Boris sleeps near her, and then there's Kitty--she has a room to herself--it's rather small, but she's immensely proud of it, and there's Nell and--”
Susy suddenly clapped her hands to her ears.
”For goodness sake stop,” she exclaimed. ”What do I care for your Macalisters, and Boris's, and Kittys? I want to know how many bedrooms there are--ten, twelve, twenty, thirty? Can't you count?”
”Yes, perfectly,” replied Nora with spirit; ”but I never troubled myself to count the number of bedrooms at the Towers; you can do so for yourself when you go to see it to-morrow.”
”Thanks for nothing. If I'm anything I'm practical, and I shall not only count the bedrooms to-morrow, but measure them also. I shall take a measuring tape with me, and my maid Linette and a foot measure.”
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