The Marriage Wheel by Susan Barrie

Rosaleen was at the far end of the room with the host, and he was showing her his collection of snuff-boxes that were displayed in a Buhl-fronted cabinet.
    Rosaleen was not in the least knowledgeable about snuffboxes, but she was exclaiming rapturously over them. The host, in a beautifully fitting dinner-jacket, seemed to be standing very close to her, and his shoulder actually brushed against her slim bare arm.
    “ Some people have all the luck, ” the doctor remarked a trifle enviously. “ Lestrode has got you to drive his cars for him—and, by the way, aren ’ t they rather on the powerful side for a little thing like you?—and it is only too obvious that your charming sister is exercising a kind of spell. But then I ’ m not surprised. She really is an exceptionally beautiful girl. And it ’ s high time Humphrey married, ” he concluded thoughtfully, as if he was following a line of reasoning that had only one logical conclusion.
    Frederica felt mildly startled, although she knew perfectly well that Rosaleen already looked upon her employer as absolutely fair game.
    She managed to look sceptical.
    “ My sister has many admirers, ” she remarked, “ and I ’ m afraid it rather amuses her to add to the list. But I should think Mr. Lestrode is fairly hardheaded ... and when a man reaches his time of life without being caught by some scheming female it surely indicates that he values his freedom and is clever at preserving it. ”
    Dr. Wilmslow smiled at her in an amused but reflective manner.
    “ You think that is the reason why he is still a bachelor? ” he asked. “ Well, you could be right. But the cleverest men get caught sometimes, you know. And now that he ’ s bought this house and appears to be settling down it ’ s only reasonable to suppose that his thoughts will eventually turn to matrimony. ” Frederica decided to change the subject.
    “ This is a lovely house, ” she observed, after assuring him that she was perfectly competent to drive Mr. Lestrode ’ s two cars. “ And it will be still lovelier when all the furnishing is completed and the grounds restored to their former beauty. At the moment I ’ ll admit they ’ re a bit of a wilderness. ”
    “ All things take time, ” the doctor agreed, his eyes still on the pair at the far end of the room. “ Unfortunately I never married, so I ’ ve almost certainly missed a lot. But with a house like this, and a very personable human being into the bargain, Humphrey ought to have more sense! ”
    Whether Humphrey Lestrode felt his eyes upon him Frederica was unable to tell, but he turned suddenly and came towards them. Rosaleen followed hard on his heels, still declaring herself completely fascinated by the snuffboxes.
    “ Hello, young woman, ” he said to Frederica. “ Did I overhear you saying something derogatory about my gardens just now? ”
    Frederica denied anything of the kind.
    “ I said they were a bit of overgrown, but when Jason has worked on them a bit more they ’ re going to look marvellous. ”
    “ Poor Jason would have a monumental task if I intended to leave the restoration of the gardens to him, ” her employer remarked. “ As a matter of fact, I ’ m doing nothing of the kind. I ’ m having a firm of landscape gardeners move in next week, and I think after they ’ ve toiled for a short while you will see something. Something very worth while, I hope! ”
    Rosaleen cooed delightedly at his elbow.
    “ Oh, that ’ s wonderful! A house like this should have a perfect setting. ”
    The host turned swiftly to smile at her.
    “ A perfect jewel in a perfect setting? ” Then he turned back to her sister. “ Since you ’ ve drawn my attention to my private wilderness I ’ d like to show you a corner of it when it ’ s softened by moonlight. And there is a very bright moon tonight! Come along with me, and I promise you shan ’ t snag your stockings in a briar patch. ”
    He was looking her up and down with