don’t know,” she said, slowly, beginning to feel that the bright future with a rich young husband was beginning to slip away. “I can’t weigh up your mother. She’s very charming, and I know she adores nice clothes and furs and jewelry, but I don’t know how she feels about people. Look, Derek, why don’t we get engaged?” She grinned impudently as she said it, and he laughed uneasily. “Oh, have a heart, Jacky. Honestly, I couldn’t afford a ring at the present time. I only have what I get from the guv’nor, you know, and at present my father isn’t very pleased with me. I shall have to go easy.”
“Who said anything about an engagement ring?” she countered, pouting prettily. “I have an idea. Let’s run off and have a secret wedding. Let’s, it’d be fun! And then your people couldn’t say a thing about me, once the thing was done. I’d be their daughter-in - law, and they couldn’t undo it.”
Derek looked blankly at her, dismay showing plainly in his face. He began to think quickly. Did she really want to be married to him, or was she just interested in his family’s money? Determined to put it to the test, he said, “I say, do you really mean that? I didn’t think you were the sort of person who’d like to be hard up, Jacky.”
“Hard up? Who said anything about being hard up? Your people have pots of money!”
“Yes, but they’d jolly soon cut me off without a penny, and you’d have to keep us, old girl. I’ve never earned a bean in my life, and between ourselves, I’d hate to have to work.”
Jacky concentrated on her glass of champagne while she recovered from the shock. Then she put it down and screwed up her nose entrancingly at him.
“Silly old Derek, who said anything about you going to work? Just as if your people would want you to! Why, anyone can see they adore you, and they have so much money, they wouldn’t miss giving us a little.. Why, your mother’s jewelry alone must be worth a fortune.”
“Oh, don’t talk about Mother’s jewelry,” Derek said, repressing a shudder. “That’s a very tricky subject. We’ve only just had another family row about it that I’d rather forget.”
“Why?” Jacky asked warily.
“Well, Mother’s so careless about it. Dad gets absolutely furious. He’s the careful one, he’s had to work so hard for his wealth. Only recently my mother lost a valuable brooch, and we thought it had been stolen.”
“Well, had it?”
“I’m not sure, but it turned up again. Dad thought one of our foreign maids had taken it, but as it was found again, she was given another chance. But don’t talk about Mother’s jewelry to me, that’s all. I’d rather not remember that painful subject.”
Jacky cleverly let the subject of their own future—and the matter of the lost brooch—drop, but the way the Frentons had let the subject of that valuable loss be hushed up stayed in her mind. When the day of the garden party dawned, she could think of nothing else. By skilful questioning, and a pretended interest in the house, Jacky discovered just where his mother’s rooms were, and that she was in the habit of leaving her jewelry lying on the dressing table.
The day of the party was hot. The storm, which had certainly cleared the air at the time, brought the weather in hotter than ever, and with it a wave of street accidents that kept the staff of St. Mildred’s on their toes.
“Gosh, I shall be glad to get away from the sound of ambulance bells, won’t you, Lisa?” Mary asked.
“I wish I didn’t have to go to this do with those children,” Lisa sighed, “but they’re so thrilled, bless them, that I haven’t the heart to let them know I’d rather be with you at your home. You are going home, aren’t you, Mary?”
“Not without you,” Mary replied. “I’m going to the party after all. Jerry and Mike asked me specially when they found I didn’t have a date. Still, it can be fun with people like those boys.”
Mary went in
“Who said anything about an engagement ring?” she countered, pouting prettily. “I have an idea. Let’s run off and have a secret wedding. Let’s, it’d be fun! And then your people couldn’t say a thing about me, once the thing was done. I’d be their daughter-in - law, and they couldn’t undo it.”
Derek looked blankly at her, dismay showing plainly in his face. He began to think quickly. Did she really want to be married to him, or was she just interested in his family’s money? Determined to put it to the test, he said, “I say, do you really mean that? I didn’t think you were the sort of person who’d like to be hard up, Jacky.”
“Hard up? Who said anything about being hard up? Your people have pots of money!”
“Yes, but they’d jolly soon cut me off without a penny, and you’d have to keep us, old girl. I’ve never earned a bean in my life, and between ourselves, I’d hate to have to work.”
Jacky concentrated on her glass of champagne while she recovered from the shock. Then she put it down and screwed up her nose entrancingly at him.
“Silly old Derek, who said anything about you going to work? Just as if your people would want you to! Why, anyone can see they adore you, and they have so much money, they wouldn’t miss giving us a little.. Why, your mother’s jewelry alone must be worth a fortune.”
“Oh, don’t talk about Mother’s jewelry,” Derek said, repressing a shudder. “That’s a very tricky subject. We’ve only just had another family row about it that I’d rather forget.”
“Why?” Jacky asked warily.
“Well, Mother’s so careless about it. Dad gets absolutely furious. He’s the careful one, he’s had to work so hard for his wealth. Only recently my mother lost a valuable brooch, and we thought it had been stolen.”
“Well, had it?”
“I’m not sure, but it turned up again. Dad thought one of our foreign maids had taken it, but as it was found again, she was given another chance. But don’t talk about Mother’s jewelry to me, that’s all. I’d rather not remember that painful subject.”
Jacky cleverly let the subject of their own future—and the matter of the lost brooch—drop, but the way the Frentons had let the subject of that valuable loss be hushed up stayed in her mind. When the day of the garden party dawned, she could think of nothing else. By skilful questioning, and a pretended interest in the house, Jacky discovered just where his mother’s rooms were, and that she was in the habit of leaving her jewelry lying on the dressing table.
The day of the party was hot. The storm, which had certainly cleared the air at the time, brought the weather in hotter than ever, and with it a wave of street accidents that kept the staff of St. Mildred’s on their toes.
“Gosh, I shall be glad to get away from the sound of ambulance bells, won’t you, Lisa?” Mary asked.
“I wish I didn’t have to go to this do with those children,” Lisa sighed, “but they’re so thrilled, bless them, that I haven’t the heart to let them know I’d rather be with you at your home. You are going home, aren’t you, Mary?”
“Not without you,” Mary replied. “I’m going to the party after all. Jerry and Mike asked me specially when they found I didn’t have a date. Still, it can be fun with people like those boys.”
Mary went in
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