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Authors: Patricia Wentworth
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probably never will be, so it’s all for the best! And you wouldn’t change your job for the world!’
Janet looked at him calmly. There was something gratifying about being able to put Ninian in a rage. She said,
‘It’s a good job.’
‘Oh, quite a labour of love!’ The hand that had been laid along the back of the seat shot out and took her by the wrist. ‘Is it?’
‘Is it what? Ninian you’re hurting!’
‘Is it a labour of love? I don’t mind in the least whether I’m hurting you or not! Does he make love to you – does he kiss you?’
She looked down at the brown hand, which felt more like a handcuff than reasonable flesh and blood. But then, when was Ninian reasonable? Her lips trembled, but she would not let them break into a smile. There was a decided increase in her Scottish lilt as she said,
‘It wouldn’t be your business if he did.’
The grip on her wrist tightened. She wouldn’t have thought it possible, but it happened – quite painfully.
‘Does he?’
‘You’re breaking my wrist!’
He laughed.
‘That would put a stop to the shorthand!’ He let her go as suddenly as he had snatched at her. ‘You shouldn’t make me angry! You’ve got the trick of it, and I suppose you like playing cat-and-mouse with me!’
‘I do not!’
‘Well, you’d better be careful, or one day you’ll go too far!’
He looked past her and saw Stella’s eyes fixed on him. That she had only just opened them was apparent. They were still dark with sleep, the pupils contracting visibly as the light reached them. She said, ‘Ninian—’ in a wavering voice. She had come out of a dream, and he was there. She stared, scrambled up, and flung herself upon him.
Chapter Ten
Meeson came knocking on the nursery door just as Stella was ready for bed.
‘Please, Miss Johnstone, Miss Ford would like you to come up and have coffee with her after dinner. She is not coming down tonight.’
It was a royal summons and admitted of no refusal.
As she went downstairs half an hour later she found Ninian at her elbow.
‘So we are bidden to the presence. You seem to have made a hit with Adriana.’
Janet frowned.
‘Have you seen her?’
‘Oh, yes – I have the entrée. The polite guest loses no time in paying his respects to his hostess.’
‘You’re not staying here!’
‘Darling, where else? I do, you know, from time to time. Adriana and I are buddies, and after all she is “my aunt”, as our dear Edna says. A horrid title – even Stella won’t use it!’
The meal was certainly enlivened by Ninian’s presence. He placed himself between Edna and Janet and kept a stream of conversation flowing. Geoffrey responded, Edna thawed, and really things might have been very pleasant if it had not been for Meriel, who sat wrapt in silence, her gaze set darkly upon Ninian’s face. It was plain that she resented his choice of a seat and the fact that she had not been quick enough to reach the place next to him in time to take it from Janet, who had been sitting on that side of the table at previous meals. Meriel had been last into the room, and she just hadn’t had a chance. By the time she was in a position to see what was happening Ninian was pulling out Janet’s chair and fairly putting her into it. There was nothing left for Meriel to do but fall into a gloom.
It was halfway through dinner before she suddenly found her voice and, leaning half across the table, began to remind Ninian of this, that, and the other.
‘That dance at Ledbury – wonderful, wasn’t it? Do you remember, you said I was the best dancer in the room?’ She gave a low reminiscent laugh. ‘Not that it was such a very great compliment, because of course most English women can’t dance at all – no fluidity, no grace, no temperament. You know, I always feel I might have done something with my dancing if Adriana had recognized my possibilities and had me trained – one must begin young. But of course she was entirely taken
Janet looked at him calmly. There was something gratifying about being able to put Ninian in a rage. She said,
‘It’s a good job.’
‘Oh, quite a labour of love!’ The hand that had been laid along the back of the seat shot out and took her by the wrist. ‘Is it?’
‘Is it what? Ninian you’re hurting!’
‘Is it a labour of love? I don’t mind in the least whether I’m hurting you or not! Does he make love to you – does he kiss you?’
She looked down at the brown hand, which felt more like a handcuff than reasonable flesh and blood. But then, when was Ninian reasonable? Her lips trembled, but she would not let them break into a smile. There was a decided increase in her Scottish lilt as she said,
‘It wouldn’t be your business if he did.’
The grip on her wrist tightened. She wouldn’t have thought it possible, but it happened – quite painfully.
‘Does he?’
‘You’re breaking my wrist!’
He laughed.
‘That would put a stop to the shorthand!’ He let her go as suddenly as he had snatched at her. ‘You shouldn’t make me angry! You’ve got the trick of it, and I suppose you like playing cat-and-mouse with me!’
‘I do not!’
‘Well, you’d better be careful, or one day you’ll go too far!’
He looked past her and saw Stella’s eyes fixed on him. That she had only just opened them was apparent. They were still dark with sleep, the pupils contracting visibly as the light reached them. She said, ‘Ninian—’ in a wavering voice. She had come out of a dream, and he was there. She stared, scrambled up, and flung herself upon him.
Chapter Ten
Meeson came knocking on the nursery door just as Stella was ready for bed.
‘Please, Miss Johnstone, Miss Ford would like you to come up and have coffee with her after dinner. She is not coming down tonight.’
It was a royal summons and admitted of no refusal.
As she went downstairs half an hour later she found Ninian at her elbow.
‘So we are bidden to the presence. You seem to have made a hit with Adriana.’
Janet frowned.
‘Have you seen her?’
‘Oh, yes – I have the entrée. The polite guest loses no time in paying his respects to his hostess.’
‘You’re not staying here!’
‘Darling, where else? I do, you know, from time to time. Adriana and I are buddies, and after all she is “my aunt”, as our dear Edna says. A horrid title – even Stella won’t use it!’
The meal was certainly enlivened by Ninian’s presence. He placed himself between Edna and Janet and kept a stream of conversation flowing. Geoffrey responded, Edna thawed, and really things might have been very pleasant if it had not been for Meriel, who sat wrapt in silence, her gaze set darkly upon Ninian’s face. It was plain that she resented his choice of a seat and the fact that she had not been quick enough to reach the place next to him in time to take it from Janet, who had been sitting on that side of the table at previous meals. Meriel had been last into the room, and she just hadn’t had a chance. By the time she was in a position to see what was happening Ninian was pulling out Janet’s chair and fairly putting her into it. There was nothing left for Meriel to do but fall into a gloom.
It was halfway through dinner before she suddenly found her voice and, leaning half across the table, began to remind Ninian of this, that, and the other.
‘That dance at Ledbury – wonderful, wasn’t it? Do you remember, you said I was the best dancer in the room?’ She gave a low reminiscent laugh. ‘Not that it was such a very great compliment, because of course most English women can’t dance at all – no fluidity, no grace, no temperament. You know, I always feel I might have done something with my dancing if Adriana had recognized my possibilities and had me trained – one must begin young. But of course she was entirely taken
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