The Marriage Wheel by Susan Barrie Page B

morning to drive me to a neighbour ’ s house for lunch. And on the way back we ’ ll have a look at the Dower House and find out what can be done to it to make it habitable for your mother. I have decided that she can ’ t possibly live in the cottage—and certainly Rosaleen can ’ t. ”
    Frederica felt her lips thin a little, and her whole spine prickled a little with resentment.
    “ If my mother could put up with the cottage then most certainly Rosaleen could. ”
    He leant one broad shoulder against the mantelpiece, lighted a cigarette and studied her with an air of amused curiosity.
    “ Do you and your sister get on well together? ” he asked.
    “ Fairly well. ”
    “ It has struck me that you are not the best of friends ... and it can ’ t be the fault of Rosaleen. She is such a charming, gentle, amiable girl—in addition to being quite ravishing to look at. Is it because she is such a charmer that you are a little envious of the appeal she makes to other people? ”
    Frederica was incensed.
    “ Of course not! ”
    “ You don ’ t feel passed over occasionally, and resent it? ”
    “ Of course not! ” she repeated. And then she gazed at him with growing anger in her eyes. “ But I do resent your making such a suggestion, ” she told him.
    He continued to smile in a faintly inscrutable way, and she had the feeling that he was prepared to humour and even indulge her.
    “ Sisters don ’ t always get on well together, ” he remarked, “ any more than brothers do. But brothers are seldom envious of one another ’ s looks. It has occurred to me that in your case— ”
    “ Then forget it, ” she advised shortly. “ I ’ m quite satisfied with my own looks. ”
    His eyes sparkled.
    “ Good! ” he exclaimed, as if he was urging on a cricket side. “ You must keep your end up, and you certainly made the most of yourself tonight. I was quite shattered when I caught my first glimpse of you before dinner. ”
    “ Until Rosaleen arrived, ” she observed drily. “ After that, of course, I ceased to exist. ”
    He smiled as if he could really appreciate that line of repartee.
    “ Well, not exactly to exist, ” he replied, in a lazy, drawling voice, “ because you are very useful to me, and charming though she is I doubt whether Rosaleen could ever make herself useful to anyone. However, we mustn ’ t expect too much of anyone—certainly not a bewitching piece like her. ”
    The hall clock chimed, and he remembered his other guests.
    “ I flatter myself, ” he remarked, “ that this has been a very pleasant evening for everyone. I ’ m grateful to you, Fred, for bringing me into contact with your family ... but now I think we ’ d better rejoin the others. ”
    “ I wish you wouldn ’ t call me Fred, ” she burst out with sudden impetuosity.
    He elevated one of his eyebrows.
    “ Surely you wouldn ’ t prefer that I made it Wells? ” ‘
    She looked, back at him almost defiantly.
    “ Yes; I ’ d rather be called Wells. I ’ d rather be called anything than Fred! ”
    His other eyebrow went up to match its fellow.
    “ Very well, Wells! ... Wells it shall be in future. And now if you ’ d like to go to bed—you ’ re the only one amongst us who has some actual hard work to do tomorrow!—I ’ ll make your excuses to the others. ”
    She turned on her heel and preceded him in the direction of the door to the hall.
    “ Goodnight, Mr. Lestrode, ” she said in a slightly muffled voice.
    He followed hard on her heels, and managed to open the door for her before she could perform this function for herself.
    “ You really are much too independent, ” he observed in an amused voice behind her. “ And it occurs to me that you have a temper! ”
    She glanced at him swiftly over her shoulder.
    “ Goodnight, Mr. Lestrode! ”

 
    CHAPTER FIVE
    Frederica h ad the car round and in front of the house in good time to drive her employer the twelve miles to the house where he was to have