She Came Back by Patricia Wentworth Page B

grandfather built on. He called them expensive hideosities, and I said I thought so too. Then I said I’d like to do things to the garden, and he said, ‘What kind of things?’ So I told him I’d like to make a lily-pool and get rid of the ramblers out of the rose-garden— things like that. And he said, ‘All right, you can if you want to.’ I said, ‘What do you mean by that?’ and he put his arm round me and said, ‘I’m asking you to marry me, stupid. What about it?’ And I said, ‘Oh, what fun!’ and he kissed me.”
    “Is that right?” Inez Jocelyn’s voice rang stridently.
    Philip said, “Oh, yes.”
    When he had said these two words his lips closed hard.
    Inez leaned right forward, crowding Lilla.
    “Well, there must be plenty of other things that you can ask her—things which only you or she can know anything about. After all, you had a honeymoon, didn’t you?”
    Thomas Jocelyn looked round sharply. Mr. Codrington put up a restraining hand. But before anyone could speak Anne pushed back her chair. Still smiling and without hurry, she passed round the end of the table and laid a hand on Philip’s shoulder. When she spoke her voice had a note of tender amusement.
    “Cousin Inez wants you to feel quite sure that I went on that honeymoon. Don’t you think that the family would be rather de trop? I mean—well, even the kindest cousin isn’t exactly welcome on a honeymoon. Wouldn’t it be a good plan if we went away and had this out together?”
    Without waiting for an answer she moved towards the door. After a moment Philip got up and followed her. They went out of the room together. The door fell to behind them.
    Everyone except Inez felt a sense of relief. Everyone also felt that Anne had shown a good deal of tact and breeding, qualities in which Miss Jocelyn was painfully deficient.
    Emmeline raised her fine eyebrows and said, “Really!”
    “Really what, Emmeline? You know as well as I do that the only definite proof would be something that was absolutely private between them. What’s the good of saying ‘Really!’ at me just because you haven’t got as much courage as I have? After all, we’re here to find out the truth, aren’t we? And I’d like to know how else you think we’re going to do it. What is the good of being mealy-mouthed? If she can tell Philip things which only his wife could have known, why, then she is Anne. But if she can’t, why, then she isn’t.”
    It was while Inez was still speaking that Lilla got up and came round the table to sit by Lyndall. She put a small warm hand over the clenched fingers in Lyndall’s lap and found them icy cold.
    “Lyn—I do so want you to come up and stay with me. Perry goes off again tomorrow. Couldn’t you come back with us?”
    Without looking at her Lyndall said,
    “Your last evening? Oh, no.”
    “Tomorrow then? Do be an angel and help me out! Cousin Inez has her eye on our spare room. She doesn’t like being evacuated to Little Claybury. She thinks there isn’t going to be any more bombing and she wants to get back to town, and I don’t really think I can bear it.”
    They spoke behind a barrage of voices. Everyone except Perry and Mr. Elvery was talking now. Lyndall said, quick and low,
    “Yes, I’ll come.”
    “I shall love to have you.”
    The family was still talking when the door opened and Anne came in with Philip behind her. Anne was smiling, and Philip deadly pale. She went back to her place and sat down, but he remained standing. As everyone turned and looked at him, he said,
    “I made a mistake. I must have made one three years ago. I have to beg her pardon. She is Anne.”
    CHAPTER 13
    After all nobody stayed the night. The only person who showed any disposition to do so was Inez, but receiving no encouragement, she departed as she had come, with Perry and Lilla.
    A fleeting qualm of conscience prompted Milly Armitage to draw Lilla aside.
    “Look here, I don’t want her—we’ve got enough on our