Mistress of Brown Furrows by Susan Barrie Page B

since she had finished her breakfast she accepted a tumbler of rich, new milk, which tasted like nuts, before she left the dairy, and drained it almost at a single draught. And when she returned to the kitchen, where the smell of baking was creating a most pleasing aroma, she inquired of Agatha whether she knew when her master or Miss Meg might be likely to return.
    “Any time now, I should think,” Agatha said. “But why don’t you have a look over the house and explore the place, if you want to? You’ll naturally be wanting to get acquainted with it,” she added, remembering that this slender young woman in the slacks—which wouldn’ t please Miss Meg! —with the naive expression in her grey eyes, was, after all, the new mistress, and had a right to see everything there was to be seen. “And the garden’ s lovely just now, isn’ t it, Judson? Just you go and have a look at the garden, and all those lovely roses Miss Meg’s so crazy about, miss—er, I beg pardon, madam! ” she corrected herself, with a sudden little flush.
    Carol smiled at them all and disappeared.
    “All right, I will! ” she said.
    She peeped into a little room on the right of the hall, the door of which was standing open, and which seemed to be used as a sort of study, for there were a great many books and a writing-desk, and—
    “Come in, inquisitive! ” said a hoarse, utterly unexpected voice from a corner of the room, startling her terrifically. “Come in and look about you! It’s a free country!”
    Carol was at first quite horrified, and then when she caught sight of the parrot she couldn’ t help laughing aloud. Why, of course, Captain! She recognized the bird from Timothy’s description, and she went up to the cage and met its wicked bright eyes through the green-painted bars. It was swinging on its perch and it ruffled up all its handsome, gaudy feathers. “Hello, there! ” said Captain, “hello, there! ”
    “You gave me quite a fright,” Carol told him truthfully, “and you’ re not what I would describe as a very polite bird! ”
    “Polite bird,” he echoed, following a loud screech. “Polite bird, bad bird, wicked bird, devilish bird!... ”
    “If you say so,” Carol agreed smilingly, and left him and wandered away round the room, inspecting the bookcases and the little low writing-table which looked very feminine to her eyes, while the books were obviously of feminine interest. She looked out of the window at the smooth lawn which crept right up to the window itself, and in the distance, through a gap in the trees, she glimpsed the misty blue hills, far-away looking this morning, because of the heat haze which was quivering in the atmosphere.
    On the window seat, which was wide and cream-painted, were set out a number of silver-framed photographs, mostly of children in old-fashioned clothing. Carol instantly recognized a portrait of Timothy, wearing a school cap and brandishing a cricket-bat, and there was another that was obviously Meg in an ugly, frilly frock and a wide hat with streamers. One very early photograph might have been Timothy as a baby, and Carol was picking it up to examine it with interest when a sudden, loud bark sounded behind her. She turned quickly to find Kate, the golden spaniel, rushing into the room.
    “Oh, what a beautiful creature! ” exclaimed Carol, and knelt down at once to make friends. Kate wagged a feathery tail in a pleased fashion, offered a satin-smooth paw, and they shook hands ceremoniously.
    “What on earth were you barking at just now, Kate?” Meg’s voice demanded from the doorway. And then she caught sight of Carol. “Oh, you!” she said. “You in here!” There was no particular pleasure in her voice—indeed it was slightly surprised, and a little cold. Her eyebrows had ascended above her straight-gazing blue eyes, and her lips were definitely a little compressed.
    “I’ m sorry if I’ m trespassing! ” Carol said hastily, shocked by her greeting.