asset, so I’ve found. But never mind that. Tell me about yourself. What have you been doing all these years besides growing up?”
“Nothing very much, I’m afraid,” Fenella confessed apologetically. “I don’t think Fairhaven’s the sort of place where much ever does happen, you know.”
“Then, my dear, you should make it happen,” Rosemary declared lightly. “With a pretty face like that you could set all the young men by the ears if you took a little trouble, I’m quite sure!”
“I don’t know whether I could or I couldn’t,” Fenella said emphatically. “But I do know I don’t want to find out. And now, if you’ll excuse me, Rosemary, I must go and talk to people—”
“No, wait a minute.” Rosemary laid a restraining hand on her arm. “I’m sorry, Fenella, I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. But I’m afraid I’m rather envious of you. You’re still so at the beginning of life while I—” and again that shrug of the shoulders.
“But you’re only about five years older than I am,” Fenella pointed out. “Surely—”
Rosemary shook her head and her hand dropped to her side.
“Oh no,” she said matter-of-factly. “There’s no question of a fresh start for me. There never can be for anyone, you know, because it would only be possible if one could wipe out the past. Turn time backwards— dear me, what nonsense I’m talking! Run along and do your duty by your guests, Fenella! I’m going to find Miss Prosser so that I can get up to date with all the local gossip—at least, I’ll be able to if she hasn’t changed. And I don’t suppose she has?”
“Not in the least,” Fenella said feelingly. “She always knows everything—and she’s always right!”
“She always was! That’s what’s made her so fiendishly dangerous,” Rosemary remarked with more animation than she had yet shown. “But for her, Anthony and I would probably never have broken our engagement. You knew we were engaged?” She paused, and Fenella nodded a brief "yes.” “Mother and I went up to town and I met Geoff—” she brought out the name without the least sign of emotion. “It was at a cocktail party and he was great fun. In the next few days I managed to sneak out quite a lot of times to meet him, partly because, I suppose, I was suffering from pre-wedding nerves, and the sheer boredom of being fitted for so many clothes. Well, one day, it just happened that Miss Prosser was up in town for some W.I. affair or other. Among other treats, they had an evening tour of the West End, and of course, there was a traffic jam that held up the coach she was in so that she had plenty of time to see Geoff and me going into a night club. Of course she told Anthony. You know — ( so nice for dear Miss Rosemary to have a friend to take her out as you couldn’t be there!' So Anthony came steaming up to town and tried to lay the law down—Does he still do that, by the way?”
“No,” Fenella said curtly. “He doesn’t! ” Which wasn’t quite true, but she certainly wasn’t going to let Anthony down!
Rosemary’s brows lifted slightly.
“Dear me, still hero-worshipping?” she drawled. “Really, Fenella, haven’t you realised yet how that sort of thing bores men—"
Without answering, Fenella turned her back on Rosemary, and skirting the edge of the lawn, managed to get into the house without being detained for more than a moment or two.
When she reached the cool sanctuary of Aunt Gina’s sitting room, she dropped into an easy chair, lay back and dosed her eyes.
Quite soon, she knew, she would have to go back and play her part as young hostess, but just for a few minutes she must make the most of this opportunity of pulling herself together.
So much had happened in the last half-hour. The shock of Rosemary’s changed appearance, of Martin Adair’s unexpected presence, and perhaps, in a way most of all, Aunt Gina’s secretiveness about his impending visit.
Why on earth hadn’t she
“Nothing very much, I’m afraid,” Fenella confessed apologetically. “I don’t think Fairhaven’s the sort of place where much ever does happen, you know.”
“Then, my dear, you should make it happen,” Rosemary declared lightly. “With a pretty face like that you could set all the young men by the ears if you took a little trouble, I’m quite sure!”
“I don’t know whether I could or I couldn’t,” Fenella said emphatically. “But I do know I don’t want to find out. And now, if you’ll excuse me, Rosemary, I must go and talk to people—”
“No, wait a minute.” Rosemary laid a restraining hand on her arm. “I’m sorry, Fenella, I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. But I’m afraid I’m rather envious of you. You’re still so at the beginning of life while I—” and again that shrug of the shoulders.
“But you’re only about five years older than I am,” Fenella pointed out. “Surely—”
Rosemary shook her head and her hand dropped to her side.
“Oh no,” she said matter-of-factly. “There’s no question of a fresh start for me. There never can be for anyone, you know, because it would only be possible if one could wipe out the past. Turn time backwards— dear me, what nonsense I’m talking! Run along and do your duty by your guests, Fenella! I’m going to find Miss Prosser so that I can get up to date with all the local gossip—at least, I’ll be able to if she hasn’t changed. And I don’t suppose she has?”
“Not in the least,” Fenella said feelingly. “She always knows everything—and she’s always right!”
“She always was! That’s what’s made her so fiendishly dangerous,” Rosemary remarked with more animation than she had yet shown. “But for her, Anthony and I would probably never have broken our engagement. You knew we were engaged?” She paused, and Fenella nodded a brief "yes.” “Mother and I went up to town and I met Geoff—” she brought out the name without the least sign of emotion. “It was at a cocktail party and he was great fun. In the next few days I managed to sneak out quite a lot of times to meet him, partly because, I suppose, I was suffering from pre-wedding nerves, and the sheer boredom of being fitted for so many clothes. Well, one day, it just happened that Miss Prosser was up in town for some W.I. affair or other. Among other treats, they had an evening tour of the West End, and of course, there was a traffic jam that held up the coach she was in so that she had plenty of time to see Geoff and me going into a night club. Of course she told Anthony. You know — ( so nice for dear Miss Rosemary to have a friend to take her out as you couldn’t be there!' So Anthony came steaming up to town and tried to lay the law down—Does he still do that, by the way?”
“No,” Fenella said curtly. “He doesn’t! ” Which wasn’t quite true, but she certainly wasn’t going to let Anthony down!
Rosemary’s brows lifted slightly.
“Dear me, still hero-worshipping?” she drawled. “Really, Fenella, haven’t you realised yet how that sort of thing bores men—"
Without answering, Fenella turned her back on Rosemary, and skirting the edge of the lawn, managed to get into the house without being detained for more than a moment or two.
When she reached the cool sanctuary of Aunt Gina’s sitting room, she dropped into an easy chair, lay back and dosed her eyes.
Quite soon, she knew, she would have to go back and play her part as young hostess, but just for a few minutes she must make the most of this opportunity of pulling herself together.
So much had happened in the last half-hour. The shock of Rosemary’s changed appearance, of Martin Adair’s unexpected presence, and perhaps, in a way most of all, Aunt Gina’s secretiveness about his impending visit.
Why on earth hadn’t she
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